Al Bashir: Forces must be African

Riyadh: Sudan's President Omar Hassan Al Bashir told Arab leaders yesterday the United Nations should limit its role in the Darfur region to logistical support to African troops.

"We do not want confrontation with the international community," Al Bashir told the summit.

"What we are trying to do is make sure troops in Darfur are African in look and leadership, while the United Nations would undertake financial, technical and logistic support for these forces."

Al Bashir has long resisted the deployment of UN peacekeepers to Sudan's western Darfur region.