The UN reported on March 18 that Meanwhile, the African Union (AU) is calling for another 7000 peacekeepers to be sent to the eastern Congo. This comes at a time the AU is still looking for troops to help monitor the war in Sudan's Darfur. The AU issued a statement March 17 saying that an additional 7,000 troops were needed in the eastern Congo in order to "disarm" the rogue militias. The AU's call for new troops indicates the UN's new "aggressive policing" of Congo militias is receiving wide political support.