United Nations Radio

The situation in Darfur is deteriorating. The warning comes from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

He told reporters we are seeing increasing attacks on UN and international staff and the UN Assistance Mission in Darfur - UNAMID - is severely stretched.

The Secretary-General says that is why he has sent the new head of UN Peacekeeping Operations, Alain Le Roy, to Sudan this week, while the head of the UN Department of Field Services, Ms. Susana Malcorra, is already in Khartoum.

"The purpose of their visit is to accelerate our deployment and push the political process, without which there can be no peace. Despite the many obstacles, we aim to reach 65 percent deployment by the end of the year, and 85 percent by March 2009. I may have to adjust a little bit in view of the circumstances on the ground. The first Egyptian and Ethiopian battalions will deploy by the end of October."

Secretary-General Ban says the overnment of Sudan has approved the deployment of military units from both Thailand and Nepal.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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