KHARTOUM, 14 October 2005 — The United Nations is to evacuate some staff from Sudan’s West Darfur state because of an increase in violence, a spokeswoman said yesterday.

“It’s a precautionary measure because of the violence. Just in case one would need an evacuation, you’d have fewer people to evacuate,” said UN spokeswoman Radhia Achouri said.

It was not clear how many staff would be evacuated.

Aid workers were already confined to the main town as all roads have been closed to travel because of banditry and clashes throughout the state, she said.

UN officials said on Wednesday the violence had hindered aid access to around 650,000 refugees in South and West Darfur states.

British aid agency Oxfam said it could not access any of its West Darfur camps by road and were concerned fuel for water pumps could run out, leaving tens of thousands of refugees without access to water.

Non-Arab rebels took up arms in early 2003 accusing Khartoum of neglect and of monopolizing power and wealth.

Khartoum responded by mobilizing mostly Arab militias, who stand accused of a campaign of rape, killing and looting in non-Arab villages.

Tens of thousands have been killed and more than 2 million forced from their homes in the Darfur violence, which the United States called genocide.

Khartoum denies genocide but the International Criminal Court is investigating alleged war crimes there.

AU Military Team to Tour Darfur

A high-level African Union military team arrived in Khartoum yesterday and proceeded to the war-torn western region of Darfur for a week-long tour following a deadly ambush there, an AU spokesman said.

“The aim of the visit is to assess the situation of the AU troops in Darfur and to make recommendations on how to avert recurrence of incidents targeting the AU mission in the future,” Nureddin Mezni told AFP.

Mezni said the team, which is led by Maj. Gen. Henry Anyidoho, would tour the AU eights sectors throughout Darfur region.

Earlier yesterday, Mezni said the bodies of two Nigerian AU peacekeepers who had gone missing after a deadly ambush last week were found in Darfur.

“They were found dead today, a few meters away from the site of the ambush in Menawash, in the Khorabashi area.” The two had been missing since two other Nigerian peacekeepers and two contractors were killed on Saturday. Three other soldiers were wounded and remain in serious condition.