UN's Pronk calls for $1.5 billion a year for African and Arab peacekeepers in Darfur

Despite receiving threats on his life and disgusting treatment by the Sudanese government, UN SRSG Jan Pronk continues to work hard at helping the people Sudan. See Nov 26 2006 AFP report - Pronk slams international passivity toward Darfur. Excerpt:

"The situation is very simple," Pronk said. "The government of Sudan has violated the peace treaty in Darfur to which it was a signatory. And it continues to violate this treaty. It bombs villages. It recruits more and more soldiers, instead of disarming the militias. It always seeks a military solution."

Pronk also called on world powers to finance an African Union peacekeeping force for Darfur to the tune of one to 1.5 billion dollars (760 million to 1.1 billion euros) a year - the amount he says would have been earmarked for a UN peacekeeping force rejected by Khartoum.

The operation should be composed of 17,000 soldiers from both Arab and African counties, Pronk said, so it is not perceived by Islamist militants as an occupation force.