U.N. to Send Troops to Darfur

The U.N. agreed to send a peacekeeping force of 26,000 strong to Darfur in Sudan Tuesday. This force will replace a 7,000 African Union force currently in the area.

The new force is expected to be in place this fall.  This is the first agreement between the U.N. and the African Union.

The strife in Darfur started in February 2003 when ethnic African tribes rebelled against the mostly Arab government claiming neglect and bad administration. It has been said that the government in turn unleashed a militia of Arab nomads called the janjaweed on the public. The government has denied such allegations, but many claim a genocide is clearly taking place in Darfur.

So far at least 200,000 have died in the conflict while the small peacekeeping forces in the region and peace agreements have failed to keep the killing at bay.