Secretary General Kofi Annan today warned Sudan would bear full responsibility for the worsening humanitarian crisis in Darfur as African Union peacekeepers said they will have to pull out because of Khartoum's refusal to allow a UN-led force to take over.
The AU force, which is cash-starved and understaffed, has been unable to halt the violence in the war-torn western region, where a conflict has raged for the past three and half years.
Its mandate ends on September 30th and Sudan has ordered it out because the African Union wants to hand over the mission to the United Nations.
International aid workers - lacking any protection - would almost certainly pull out if the 7,000 AU troops leave and are not replaced by UN peacekeepers, leading to widespread misery or starvation in camps flooded with Darfur refugees.
Mr Annan criticised Sudan's call for the departure of the African peacekeepers and expressed concern at Khartoum's refusal to accept the 20,000-strong UN force, which would have a stronger mandate to end the fighting.
He warned that Sudan would be unable to address the humanitarian disaster in Darfur, where 3 million people living in refugee camps are at risk.
AP