UN sending mission to E Chad and the CAR

With the conflict in Darfur spilling into neighbouring Chad and the Central African Republic, the UN said on Friday that it was sending a mission to both countries.

UN's undersecretary-general for peacekeeping Guehenno told the security council that the UN secretariat had carried out "an intensive planning process" to review options for a UN presence in eastern Chad and the CAR.

Guehenno said UN planning was based on a scenario that envisaged little or no improvement in the security situation in countries in the short-term, as well as continued obstacles to aid delivery, and no agreement on replacing the African Union force in Darfur with UN peacekeepers.

Full story News 24 (SA) 28 Oct 2006.