The cabinet is considering sending troops to the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur to take part in the joint United Nations-African Union peace-keeping mission due to be deployed at the end of this year.

The announcement came from foreign minister Maxime Verhagen and aid minister Bert Koenders on Friday.
In a letter to MPs, the ministers said that the government is looking into the desirability and feasibility of making a contribution to the mission following a request from the United Nations on June 25.
According to media reports based on sources within the defence department, the government is also looking at whether the Netherlands could provide logistical support, intelligence officers, soldiers or a field hospital for the Darfur mission.
The sources say that two Dutch officers are already in Sudan to prepare for the mission.
Koenders says it is a ‘breakthrough’ that the government is ‘seriously investigating’ the possibility of a Dutch role in Darfur. He says western help is vital for humanitarian aid in the region.
Verhagen told ANP news agency: ‘We can’t just abandon the people in Darfur. The Netherlands has been involved in Sudan for year.’ He says that the joint UN-African Union mission offers a real opportunity to improve the situation in the region.
The news of a possible Darfur mission comes as the government is deciding on whether to extend its military presence in Afghanistan. According to defence sources quoted in NRC Handelsblad, the Netherlands does not have the resources to take part in both missions. The sources say the cabinet will announce its decision on both missions at the same time.
The UN says 4.2 million people in the region need help because of ongoing fighting between the Arabic militia (Janjaweed) backed by the Khartoum government and black African rebels. The number of refugees in the region has grown to 2.1 million as a result. The UN puts the number killed in the conflict at 200,000.