KHARTOUM : Extra Chinese engineers were en route for Sudan's war-torn western region of Darfur on Thursday, set to boost the number of UN-led peacekeeping troops to more than 8,000, a spokeswoman said.

"About 175 Chinese, an engineering company, are deploying to Nyala. They're scheduled to arrive this morning," said Josephine Guerrero, spokeswoman for the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission UNAMID.

"It will bring the number of the Chinese contingent in Darfur to 318 and the total number of troops from 7,828, before the Chinese, to 8,003," she said.

Chinese engineers have been in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state since November, tasked with building roads and bridges, and digging wells.

The fresh deployment comes one day after the killing of the ninth peacekeeper since the UN took over the peacekeeping efforts six months ago.

UNAMID is on high alert amid fears of a backlash after the International Criminal Court chief prosecutor on Monday sought an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir for alleged war crimes in Darfur.

China, which has close ties with Sudan as one of the main buyers of the African nation's oil and a key investor in its economy, expressed concern over the ICC move and warned the move might upset peace hopes in Darfur.

Human rights groups have tried to use the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, which begin in August, to push China to do more to end the crisis in Darfur.

Since UNAMID took over from an African Union force on December 31, barely a third of the projected 19,500 soldiers and 6,500 police have deployed.

The Darfur conflict began in 2003 when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated regime and state-backed militias, fighting for resources and power in one of the most remote and deprived places on earth.

The United Nations has said that 300,000 people have died in Darfur and more than 2.2 million been displaced. The Sudanese government puts the death toll at 10,000.

- AFP/ir