Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir has denied the acceptance of deploying a hybrid peacekeeping force commanded by the United Nations in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, local media reported on Tuesday.

The Alwan daily quoted Bashir as saying that the hybrid force to be deployed by the UN and the African Union (AU) in Darfur will be commanded by African and its troops would mainly come from African countries.

"The agreement signed by Sudan with the AU Peace and Security Council stipulates appointment of an African commander for the troops in Darfur," al-Bashir told a meeting of local political leaders in Medani, the capital of Gezira State in central Sudan.

He disclosed that a Nigerian general had been chosen for the post, adding that only technical and civilian personnel could be sent by non-African countries to join the peacekeeping force according to the agreement.

A delegation of the UN Security Council announced following their meetings with Sudanese officials in Khartoum last Sunday that they had reached an agreement for the hybrid force to be under UN command.

After meetings with Bashir and Foreign Minister Lam Akol, some members of the UN delegation said that Sudanese officials had made an unconditional commitment to the new force.

At a two-day meeting in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa last week, the AU, the UN and Sudan reached an agreement on the deployment of the hybrid peacekeeping force in Darfur.
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The Sudanese government has said that it is up to the UN now to adopt a resolution to finance the 20,000-strong force.

(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2007)