Ethiopia to send 5 helicopters to Sudan's Darfur

ADDIS ABABA, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Ethiopia said on Friday it would send five helicopters to help equip a peacekeeping force deploying in Sudan's Darfur region.

United Nations officials say the 26,000-member U.N./African Union force being deployed to help stem the five-year-old conflict cannot work without 18 attack and six transport helicopters.

"In response to request by the African Union and the United Nations ... Ethiopia will provide five helicopters to help facilitate the effort to bring lasting peace to Darfur," said Bereket Simon, special adviser to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

Bereket reiterated Addis Ababa's pledge to send 5,000 troops in addition to the two attack and three transport helicopters.

Countries have been reluctant to send crafts to the war-torn region where experts say clashes between Sudanese forces, pro-Khartoum militias and rebels have killed 200,000 people and displaced over 2 million. Khartoum says the number is lower.

Helicopters aside, the force's deployment, agreed by Sudan in mid-2007, has been delayed by disputes with Khartoum over rules governing its presence and over which countries can contribute troops. Some 9,000 soldiers are currently in place. (Reporting by Tsegaye Tadesse; Editing by Jack Kimball and Catherine Evans)