Sudan said planning new Darfur offensive

NEW YORK, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Sudan appears on the verge of a major new military offensive in its troubled Darfur region, a top U.N. official has warned.

In a blunt assessment by Hedi Annabi, the deputy head of the U.N. peacekeeping forces, the U.N. Security Council was told in a private briefing that Darfur's population may have to "relive the horrors" of 2003-2004 and "hundreds of thousands of lives will be at risk."

Britain and the United States meanwhile introduced a resolution calling for 17,000 U.N. peacekeepers to be sent to Darfur, the Washington Post said.

China and Russia indicated they might reject the proposal which the Sudanese government also opposes.

Annabi said Khartoum has told the United Nations it plans to deploy 26,500 troops to Darfur by year's end, which would violate the existing peace agreement.