ADDIS ABABA, July 16: Former US President Bill Clinton called on Sunday for pressure to be exerted on Sudan’s government to accept a larger and stronger peacekeeping force to restore peace in the country’s western Darfur region.

The conflict, which began in early 2003, has killed 200,000 people, forced another two million to flee their homes and spilled over into neighbouring Chad.

The 7,300-strong African Union peacekeeping and police force operating in Darfur has failed to stabilise the situation.

Sudan has refused to let UN peacekeepers replace the poorly-funded AU operation.

“The fundamental fact for the people living there is there aren’t enough troops there to protect them,” Clinton told African Union officials, diplomats and aid workers in Ethiopia on Sunday.

“And the mandate of the troops is not clear or broad enough.”

“I would like to see a larger force go there with as many Africans as possible — and then other Muslim forces, perhaps from Turkey, or Pakistan or Bangladesh,” Clinton said.

“I think that the government of Khartoum should be pressured to accept such a force. I think the AU should be supported.”—AP