UK urges Sudan to accept UN force in Darfur

Feb 3, 2006 (LONDON) — British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw on Friday called on his Sudanese counterpart Lam Akol to accept the deployment of UN peacekeeping troops to help resolve the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

The new Government of National Unity should take the lead at peace talks on the matter in Abuja, Nigeria, and establish relations with rebel groups to find a “quick agreement”, he said following talks with Akol in London.

The meeting took place as moves continued for blue-helmeted United Nations troops to take over peacekeeping operations from the African Union (AU) in the troubled western region of Sudan.

Straw called on the Khartoum government to make a public declaration stating that they were ready to accept the troops to maintain order and not place any conditions on their deployment.

He also urged the Sudanese administration to disarm the Arab Janjaweed militia, one of two rebel groups who are accused of brutally repressing ethnic black groups in the region, and observe the cease-fire.

Straw also repeated his calls to the new government to remove obstacles hindering the relief effort in the area and on military supplies to peacekeeping forces.

Akol said his government was waiting for an AU decision on whether to request UN intervention but recognised the need to move on three fronts.

“The security situation on the ground must be stabilised… humanitarian intervention must go on… and most importantly the peace talks,” Akol added. “We are at one on these issues.”

In three years, the conflict in Darfur has cost an estimated 180,000 to 300,000 lives and displaced more than two million people.

In 2004, the AU deployed some 7,000 troops to the region but the effort was hampered by a lack of resources.

– The Transcript Of Akol – Straw Press Conference is available at British Foreign and Commonwealth Office

(ST/AFP)