'Whenever there is somebody who has been a casualty unintentionally, his relatives and family should be compensated,' ministry spokesman Ali Al Sadiq said.

'We have asked for that on behalf of the families of the deceased. Usually it is about 10,000 dollars (each),' said Sadiq.

The request was made on behalf of the families of four Arab nomads who died trying to carry the dead French peacekeeper, found in remote western Sudan after a small contingent of EU soldiers from Chad strayed across the border.

The Sudanese military said the nomads died when a grenade on the corpse exploded as they attempted to carry the body.

Sadiq said he expected the request, made during consultations with a delegation from the EU peacekeeping mission that assisted with Sudan's repatriation of Sergeant Gilles Polin, 28, would be resolved amicably.

Polin, a special forces commando, went missing when at least one vehicle from the EUFOR mission in Chad crossed into Sudan last Monday, sparking a deadly shootout with Sudanese troops.

Although the details are sketchy, another French soldier was also wounded and up to five Sudanese civilians killed.

On Friday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy accused Sudanese troops of using 'deliberate and disproportionate' force against the EUFOR troops.

The commander of the EU mission to Chad, Lieutenant General Patrick Nash, expressed regret for the troops 'accidentally' crossing the unmarked border.

Agencies