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KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) - The No. 2 U.S. diplomat arrived in Sudan on Thursday as part of an international push to convince the government to accept a U.N. peacekeeping force in the violence wracked Dafur region.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte's visit comes as the United States is holding off on imposing sanctions against Sudan so negotiations can take place on whether Sudan will allow a U.N. force to join the 7,000 African Union troops currently protecting people of Darfur.
Under U.N.-backed agreements approved last fall, a force of 22,000 African Union and U.N. peacekeepers are to be deployed in Darfur to protect and provide relief for 2.5 million Darfurians who have been forced from their homes and are now confined to camps.
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