UNITED NATIONS: UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Thursday pleaded with member states to provide 24 helicopters crucial for the success of the planned UN-African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission in Sudan’s strife-torn Darfur region.
"We must absolutely have an effective, robust force. Without it, there can be no security," the secretary general told reporters. "But for this we need on-the-ground capability — specifically helicopters. We’re not getting them. Because of that the entire mission is at risk."