France, Denmark and Indonesia offered Wednesday to contribute troops to the joint United Nations-African Union mission for Darfur, as observers predicted the UN would have trouble recruiting troops from already overstretched military forces.

Josée Verner, Canada's minister of international co-operation, says the country has not yet been asked to contribute soldiers to the peacekeeping effort in Darfur.
(Jacques Boissinot/Canadian Press)

The UN Security Council approved a force of 26,000, comprising mostly peacekeepers from Africa with support from Asia, for the troubled Sudanese region on Tuesday.

The conflict in Darfur has claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people and forced millions to live as refugees since it began in 2003, when ethnic African tribes rebelled against what they considered decades of neglect and discrimination by the Arab-dominated government. The Sudanese government has been accused of retaliating by unleashing the Janjaweed, an Arab militia, resulting in widespread atrocities.

The force, which if fully deployed would be the largest peacekeeping mission in the world, will consist of as many as 19,555 military personnel authorized to use force, including 360 military observers and liaison officers. As well, 3,772 police personnel and 19 police units of up to 140 personnel each will be deployed.

Observers say coming up with such large numbers of new troops could be a challenge, as many militaries are already overstretched in peacekeeping efforts and conflicts such as Iraq.

For example, Britain's military has 7,100 service members in Afghanistan and 5,500 in Iraq.

"We would consider requests to support the United Nations-Africans Mission in Darfur once we receive a formal request to do so," Britain's Defence Ministry said Wednesday in a statement, adding that it is assisting the existing African Union mission in Darfur in areas including logistics and planning.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says France has offered soldiers to participate in the chain of command and reconstruction efforts.
(Laurent Baheux/Associated Press)

A spokeswoman at the British foreign office, speaking anonymously according to ministry regulations, said Britain would not send ground troops.

"We're not going to be putting soldiers with guns and tanks in Darfur."

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the country would send a small number of doctors and nurses, but no troops or security personnel, given its existing commitments in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Solomon Islands.

Other countries have already started offering personnel for the mission.

Nigeria, which has about 2,000 troops in Darfur, is ready to send an additional battalion of about 700 soldiers, said army spokesman Col. Mohammed Yusuf.

France offered to send soldiers to participate in the chain of command as well as provide assistance for reconstruction and humanitarian efforts, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Wednesday. He did not say how many troops the country would contribute.

Denmark's Defence Minister Soeren Gade said he was "certain" the country would send assistance.

"That Denmark will take part, I consider that as certain," Gade said in an interview from Iraq. "There are several possibilities. Beside the fact that there is a need for quite a lot of soldiers, there is a need for logistical staff, people in the [commanding] headquarters, ships that can ferry equipment on long distances, planes that can move equipment and personnel."

Waiting for details

Indonesia also offered to assist the force on Wednesday. Desra Percaya, a spokesperson for Indonesia's Foreign Ministry, said the country was willing to contribute troops, but was waiting for details on how many non-African troops are needed.

China has not said whether it will provide troops, but in June the country's special envoy on Darfur said the government would seriously consider sending peacekeepers.

Canada's international co-operation minister, Josée Verner, said Tuesday the country has not yet been asked to contribute soldiers to the international effort, but is ready to respond to any requests in terms of humanitarian assistance. There are 31 Canadian Forces members serving in Sudan as part of a UN mission.  

Many countries, including Italy, Sweden, Austria, the Netherlands, Thailand and South Africa, said they had not made a decision yet.

The first peacekeepers are scheduled to arrive in Darfur in December.

With files from the Canadian Press