Sudan ready to fund AU peacekeepers in Darfur for 6 months

Sudan's president declared his country is prepared to bear the cost of AU peacekeepers in Darfur as an alternative to a UN force, Sudan's official news agency SUNA reported Sunday - AP/ST reported July 3, 2006 - excerpt:

Al-Bashir made the pledge to Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade during a meeting between the two leaders in Banjul, Gambia, the agency said.

Sudan was prepared to foot the bill for the forces for the next six months during which al-Bashir predicted the security situation would improve and there would be no need to deploy troops under the U.N, SUNA reported.

The Sudanese leader also complained Sunday that the international community was not doing enough to persuade those rebel factions that did not sign the Darfur Peace Agreement to join the process.

"Sudan was expecting to see intensive efforts to boost the peace deal and to exercise pressure on the groups that have refused to sign the deal," SUNA reported al-Bashir as saying.

Note, the current AU Mission in Darfur costs something in the region of $1 billion per annum.