ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon chastised an African Union summit in Ethiopia on Monday for ineffectiveness in dealing with violence in Sudan.
Speaking in Addis Ababa, Ban said the African Union should agree to having a U.N. peacekeeping force move into Sudan's violence-wracked Darfur region, where humanitarian agencies say the situation is beyond grave.
"Together we must work to end the violence and scorched-earth policies adopted by various parties, including militias, as well as the bombings which are still a terrifying feature of life in Darfur," Ban said.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is opposed to a U.N. role because of sovereignty concerns, is about to assume the rotating presidency of the African Union, the BBC reported.
The United Nations estimates it would require 22,000 peacekeepers to replace the overstretched AU force of 7,000 personnel.
More than 200,000 people have died in nearly four years of fighting in Darfur between rebels and pro-government militias, and more than 2 million people have become refugees, relief agencies report.
