A senior UN official has warned that the planned UN-African Union peacekeeping force still lacks the helicopters it needs to carry out its mission.
Jean-Marie Guéhenno, head of the UN department of peacekeeping operations, said he was very concerned about the region as violence escalates in the strife-torn region.
He was commenting on charges by a key rebel leader that the Sudanese army destroyed the south Darfur town of Haskanita and killed up to 100 people in retaliation for a 29 September attack on African Union troops late last month.
In addition, the only Darfur rebel movement to have signed a peace agreement with the Khartoum government accused the military of launching an assault on a nearby town that had been under its control.
Mr Guéhenno said the UN-AU force expected to take over peacekeeping from ill-equipped African troops in Darfur urgently needed at least 24 transport and light tactical helicopters.
He welcomed the European Union's plan to deploy up to 4,000 troops in Chad and Central African Republic, most likely in November, but stressed the bloc should also pitch in for the Darfur operation.
'It's the whole world that we are calling upon for helicopters. Any country that has those capacities should consider whether it can commit (them) for Darfur,' he added.
UN officials said that the UN-AU force would comprise over 19,000 military personnel, over 6,000 police and over 5,500 civilian personnel and would not be fully deployed until well into next year.
He said the UN and the AU had agreed to accept troop contingents from 16 countries, mostly from Africa but also including Bangladesh, Jordan, Nepal, the Netherlands, Scandinavian countries and Thailand.
