Russia may send humanitarian aid, military advisors to Darfur, Defense Ministry

Russia may send humanitarian aid and military advisors to Darfur under the UN aegis, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov announced.

"We do not rule out that we will provide humanitarian aid and military advisors within the framework and under the flag of the United Nations," he said.

Military advisors are expected to separate the parties and monitor the humanitarian situation, he explained.

"But I do not see much sense in investing large resources, because the developments there [in Darfur, western province of Sudan] do not threaten our security and our interests," he added.

Unlike Russia, NATO wants to send as many observers and advisors to new leaders as possible, as well as its own humanitarian aid, Ivanov emphasized.

"The civil war in southern Sudan has been going on for 25 years and as far as I know Africa it will go on for as long, no matter what we do. This is an endless conflict," he said.