The ongoing violence and instability in the Darfur region of Sudan continues to trouble the international community. Today, $200 million more was raised at an international conference to aid Africa's peacekeeping effort in the region.

Canada was the biggest donor, adding $134 million more to its pledge. The United States put in an additional $50 million to combat what State Department official Charles Snyder called 'acts of genocide' taking place in the region.

Presently there are 2,270 peacekeeping troops in Darfur, sent there by the African Union. The AU hopes to have more than 12,300 troops in place shortly.

'The truth is the AU was looking for outside support and when you are looking at support on this kind of scale we need an organization that can do it, such as NATO,' Snyder told The Associated Press.

There were real fears among the delegates at the conference in Addis Ababa feared that the instability in Sudan can lead to problems in the nine countries that border on the African nation.

'We are running a race against time,' said United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan who was at the conference. 'If violence and fear prevent the people of Darfur from planting and growing crops next year, then millions will have to be sustained by an epic relief effort,' Annan said.

At least 180,000 people have been killed in ethnic violence between Arabs and ethnic Africans. More than 2 million ethnic Africans have been forced to leave their homes as well.

Peace talks for the region are set to resume on June 10.