UN to support new Sudanese govt – Annan

Sept 22, 2005 (UNITED NATIONS) — U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says the U.N. Mission in Sudan will do its utmost to support the nation’s new Government of National Unity.

It faces enormous challenges of establishing a durable peace and bringing economic development after decades of civil war, Annan said Thursday in welcoming the government’s swearing-in.

Establishment of the new government and normalization of the situation in the rest of the Sudan offered tremendous promise for Darfur, he said

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Annan said parties to the conflict in western Darfur have convened in Abuja, Nigeria, under African Union mediation, to negotiate an end to the conflict that has caused so much suffering in the troubled region.

“The Secretary-General calls on participants in the Abuja negotiations to apply themselves fully to bring an end to the suffering of the people of Darfur by reaching an agreement during this round of talks and by the end of this year.”

In his monthly report to the council on Darfur, Annan said the region’s civilian population must be better protected because they had fallen victim to both attacks from armed groups and forced relocation by the previous Government.

“One major issue is the protection of internally displaced persons. On some occasions, internally displaced persons who have returned to their villages of origin to cultivate their fields have been attacked, resulting in their re-displacement back to the refugee camps,” he said.

The government’s military forcefully entered the Bella site near Saraf Omra, North Darfur in mid-August and destroyed dwellings, wounding eight people in the process, he said, adding, “the government failed to notify the international humanitarian community of its intentions.”

(UPI)