Sudan War Prompts Peacekeeping Plan

Leaders of the G8 announced plans last night to train 75,000 African peacekeeping troops, and expressed their grave concern at the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

Amid reports of ethnic cleansing in the Sudanese civil war, the G8 said it wanted to help Africa to police its own conflicts. Under the plan, the new troops would be trained and ready for deployment by 2010.

Tony Blair's spokesman said: "That clearly is important because it means that where there's conflict in Africa, Africans can take on the job holding the ring until those conflicts are resolved."

Britain would train 15,000 of the troops directly, or through organisations it supports, he added. "We anticipate that our spending on supporting such operations will increase from £6m to £12m."

The announcement came as leaders at the G8 summit responded to reports that Arab militias are carrying out ethnic cleansing against black Africans in Darfur, by appealing to the UN to help to prevent a catastrophe in Sudan.

"There are continuing reports of gross violations of human rights, many with an ethnic dimension," the declaration said. "We look to the United Nations to lead the international effort to avert a major disaster, and will work together to achieve this end."

Thousands of people have been killed in the past 15 months of conflict in Darfur. International aid groups suspect that the Sudanese government is backing nomadic militiamen, known as janjaweed, who have been sweeping through villages and carrying out massacres.

"We are on the verge of a grave humanitarian crisis and it's time to sound the alarm," a French official said on condition of anonymity.

The statement by the G8 - which comprises France, Italy, Canada, Britain, Japan, Germany, Russia and the United States - urged the Sudanese government to disarm the militias and other groups responsible for the "massive human rights violations in Darfur".

"We call on the conflict parties to address the roots of the Darfur conflict and to seek a political solution," it said.