African peacekeepers cannot transfer to UN, says govt

4 Sep 2006 IRIN report- excerpt:

Sudanese presidential adviser Mustafa Osman Ismail told reporters in Khartoum on Monday that the AU would have to leave the country only if it couldn't maintain its existing force.

"The AU has refused to extend its mandate beyond September 30. If they don't want to extend their mandate, they have to go," said Ismail.

AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni said he was still waiting to hear how latest developments might affect the AU mission.

"We have been following the issue through the media, but we haven't received any official notification so far," AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni told IRIN on Monday.

Rather than accepting a UN force, the Sudanese government has proposed its own protection plan, which involves deploying another 10,500 troops to "consolidate the security situation" in Darfur.