Bashir Doesn't Commit To U.N. Force in Darfur

UNITED NATIONS — Sudan's President al-Bashir did not commit in a letter to Secretary-General Ban to accept the creation of a joint force of U.N. and African Union troops that would be deployed to protect civilians in Darfur. Mr. Ban's spokeswoman, Michele Montas, told reporters yesterday that Mr. Bashir has "accepted the U.N.-African Union proposal on a hybrid force for Darfur." But in his June 4 letter, seen yesterday by the Sun, Mr. Bashir stated only that departments in his government "are currently busy studying the joint African Union-United Nations report on the hybrid operation in Darfur." The letter added that it is "important that all of the three parties" — the U.N., the A.U., and Sudan — "agree on the details of the hybrid operations."