Armoured vehicles began arriving in Sudan's Darfur region on Friday, a move officials said would significantly improve the capabilities of African Union forces trying to cope with spiralling violence.
The armoured personnel carriers (APCs) landed in Darfur's main town of el-Fasher as infighting amongst rebels and Arab militias in the past week claimed up to 85 lives and forced 10,000 people from their homes in many parts of the vast region the size of France, a UN report said.
"The APCs will give them authority, confidence, punch and significant flexibility," the Canadian prime minister's special envoy for Africa, Bob Fowler, told Reuters. Canada paid for the 105 vehicles, which finally arrived after months of diplomatic wrangling with Khartoum.
"It is all about protecting a delicate peace and allowing this mission to do its job in keeping stability in this country," he said. The APCs were not equipped with machineguns as they arrived.
A 6,000-strong AU force is monitoring a shaky truce in the desert region. But the force has regularly come under fire and suffered its first casualties in an armed ambush last month.
The attack raised questions about the force's ability to defend itself and millions of civilians, who have borne the brunt of the violence, called genocide by the United States.
AU officials say the APCs will be a deterrent to any force contemplating an attack on their soldiers and would provide valuable protection for the troops, who currently travel on open benches in the back of jeeps, exposing them as one soldier said as "sitting ducks".