The UN and the African Union (AU) have agreed on the command structure of a joint peacekeeping force to be deployed in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region.

Under the plan, the AU will run day-to-day operations, while the UN is expected to have overall control.

The UN will hold a series of meetings with Sudan's president next week to determine whether he will agree to the deployment of the 20,000-strong force.

The current AU force of 7,000 has struggled to contain the violence.

More than 200,000 people have died in the four-year conflict and some 2m are in camps after fleeing their homes.

Uncharted territory

After a false start, the AU and UN have now agreed on the command and control structure of the force and the details have been sent to the Sudanese government.

The idea of a joint force is, said a senior UN official, uncharted territory.