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 UNITED NATIONS (AP) - U.N. officials said Monday they don't have enough military helicopters and ground transport for the joint U.N.-African Union peacekeeping force expected to begin deploying to Sudan's Darfur region later this month.
Officials said the force had not received pledges from contributing countries for 24 needed transport and attack helicopters as well as about 60 long-haul trucks. They said the shortfall would not delay or halt deployment, but could "significantly impair" the force.
"If you want to ensure the protection of civilians, you need that mobility, you need the capacity to transport troops quickly to a place you hear there is some trouble developing, and you need to have the firepower and the strength to immediately dominate the situation," said Jean-Marie Guehenno, the U.N. undersecretary-general for peacekeeping.
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