ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- The African Union has agreed to increase its peacekeeping force in Sudan's western Darfur region in an effort to end the crisis since February 2003.

    The African Union's Peace and Security Council on Wednesday approved the increase in the size of its force in Darfur from 390 to 3,320 troops and civilian police, said Said Djinnit, head of the 16-member council.

    The AU has deployed some 300 soldiers to the Darfur region to protect about 150 observers, who are monitoring a ceasefire reached in April between Khartoum and Darfur rebel groups.

    The one-year operation will be funded mainly by the European Union and the United States, Djinnit said.

    "We hope to have the enhanced force in the region by the end of this month, or very early next month,'' Djinnit said.

    Clashes flared up in February 2003 between the militia known as Janjaweed and local black Africans over scarce resources in thebarren western Sudanese region of Darfur.

    Two rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Army and the Justice andEquality Movement took up arms to fight the Janjaweed, which was believed to be responsible for killings and looting.

    They also accused the government of years of negligence and unfair allocation of resources.

    Peace talks between the Sudanese government and the rebel groups have adjourned in the Nigerian capital of Abuja without major breakthrough and would be resumed after the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.

    The summit was called under the AU auspices in a bid to solve the Darfur crisis, which has grabbed unprecedented world attention.

    The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Sept. 18, urging the Sudanese government to stabilize the situation in Darfur and fully cooperate with the AU.

    The AU has spearheaded international attempts to resolve the crisis and is in the process of deploying a 4,500-strong force from around five African countries to Sudan to oversee the peace process there.

    On Sunday, leaders from Sudan and four other African countriesmet in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, rejecting any foreign intervention in the Darfur issue and stressing that the issue mustbe resolved within the framework of the AU. Enditem