Security Pledge by Africa Bloc Irks Sudan

The African Union said Thursday that its troops would not stand idly by if civilians were attacked in Sudan’s Darfur region. Sudan challenged the statement, saying it alone was responsible for such security.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell issued a fresh warning to the government in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, to stop Arab militias from attacking black Africans.

“If we don’t see that, then the United States and the international community will have to consider further measures,” the secretary said in a speech in Washington. He did not elaborate.

The United Nations says the world’s worst humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Darfur. More than 1 million black African villagers have been displaced as they have fled the attacking government-supported militias.

Darfur dominated a three-day meeting of leaders from 53 African nations.

The meeting ended Thursday and was seen as a test of the African Union’s resolve to police the continent’s conflicts.

The AU, trying to win increased Western investment in return for ending wars and despotism and curbing corruption, said 300 soldiers up for deployment to Darfur to protect 60 unarmed AU monitors would also protect civilians.

“These forces that are coming are to protect the observation mission, but they cannot remain passive when faced with human rights violations,” AU Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare said after the summit.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail said that “Sudan has no problem if you want to send protection forces, but it is protection forces to protect the monitors.

“The protection of civilians is the responsibility of the Sudanese government.”