African Union short of funds for Darfur mission

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

ADDIS ABABA-- The African Union (AU) is in urgent need of funds to sustain its operations in the war-torn western Sudanese region of Darfur and could soon fail to pay salaries for its troops deployed there, sources said on Thursday.

"Within three months we will not be able to pay the wages of our troops who are on the ground there," an AU official said.

"Everyone knows this mission is important and we think the international community will support us, but they need to do it soon because the money is fast running out," he added.

The 53-nation bloc, which has more than 5,000 troops in Darfur, also believes the international community has not pledged enough cash to finance the US $252 million-a-year mission.

While the international community had provided aircrafts, transport for troops, accommodation and military hardware, only a fraction of the cash needed to actually finance the mission had been offered, the official, who preferred anonymity, said.

Only $79 million had so far been pledged for the peacekeeping operation by the international community - leaving a shortfall of $173 million