KHARTOUM, Aug 4: Tens of thousands of Sudanese marched on the UN headquarters in Khartoum on Wednesday in protest at the possibility of Western military intervention to deal with a humanitarian crisis in the western region of Darfur.

In Addis Ababa, a spokesman for the African Union (AU) said the organization may boost the number of troops to be deployed in Darfur to 2,000 from 300, subject to the move being approved at a meeting of its members.

Protesters carried anti-American banners and chanted slogans attacking UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for his close alignment with US policy. "Annan, Annan, shame, shame," they shouted. "Annan, Annan, you coward. We will not be ruled by the Americans."

The organizers said at least 35,000 people took part in the protest. An AU spokesman said the troop proposal needed the approval of the AU's 15-member security body.

The body would also look at broadening the original mandate of the AU force to include a peacekeeping role as well as protecting observers monitoring a cease fire. -Reuters