A top-level UN team says it has so far been unable to convince Sudan to allow a UN peacekeeping force in the troubled region of Darfur.

UN officials in the capital, Khartoum, for talks with Sudanese leaders say they will continue to work towards getting the government's consent.

Sudan objects to a UN force replacing 7,000 African Union (AU) peacekeepers.

Some Sudanese officials see the hand of the US behind the UN effort and they are right to some extent, says BBC world affairs correspondent Mark Doyle, who is traveling with the UN delegation.

However, the UN says it will not deploy peacekeepers without Sudan's approval, but reiterated that it must act to stop the killings.

"It was underlying to the president that that can only happen with the consent of the government," delegation chief and UK ambassador to the UN Emyr Jones-Parry said after meeting Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

"But it's our wish that we continue discussions to get that consent and that the transition takes place as soon as we can manage it."

Technical mission

The AU troops currently in Darfur are under-funded and poorly equipped, and have struggled to contain the violence.

Before meeting President Bashir, the UN delegation met a co-ordinator of government affairs, Mr Deng Alor, officially known as the minister for the council of ministers and Foreign Minister Lam Akol.

Before the meeting, Mr Akol suggested to the BBC's Network Africa programme that Sudan could accept a UN force, as long as it had a mandate to monitor, rather than enforce peace.

"What is important is the mandate of the force - we are ready to discuss the role they can play," he said.

A UN technical mission is due to visit Sudan to have more detailed discussions about a possible peacekeeping force in a few days.

Ten days ago, Sudan agreed to allow a UN assessment team to be sent to the war-torn western region in order to assess the requirements for the possible arrival of UN peacekeepers.

Following talks in Khartoum, the delegation will head to Ethiopia and Chad before ending its 10-day tour in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Delicate task

Relations have been tense between Sudan and the United Nations.

Earlier this year, there were large anti-UN demonstrations in Khartoum, widely believed to have been organized by the government.

The 15-strong Security Council delegation, which includes envoys from the five permanent council members, will have some delicate negotiations to do during its time in the Sudanese capital.

The UN wants to see its own troops installed in the region to help implement the peace deal recently signed between the Sudanese government and the main rebel force.

The government has said it would prefer the current AU peacekeepers to be given more support rather than allow a UN force into the region.

Last month, the AU called for the UN to take over as soon as possible.

Sudanese rebel forces took up arms in February 2003, accusing the government of discriminating against Darfur's black Africans in favor of Arabs.

Photo Caption

African Union Peacekeepers in Gereida