Clooney hopeful about ‘first shot at a peace treaty’ in Darfur

September 9, 2007 (TORONTO) — US movie star George Clooney, who has used his fame to call attention to ethnic cleansing in Darfur, said Saturday he was optimistic about upcoming peace talks to end the four-year conflict.

“We’re in a position right now where we actually have for the first time a shot at a peace treaty, not only with the government of Khartoum (the capital of Sudan), but with all the warring parties,” said Clooney, following the North American premiere of his film “Michael Clayton” at the Toronto film festival.

“There’s a chance, not a very good one, but it’s the first chance that we’ve had in a long time,” he said.

“It’s a tricky time right now because China is finally stepping up a little bit, we’ve got some real movement for the first time in two years, Ban Ki-moon went there and had a meeting with (Sudanese president Omar) el-Beshir and Beshir is going to meet with the Pope, which is a very interesting meeting.”

“Even if you don’t like them and you think they’re unsavory, which I do, I’d rather have them sitting in a room talking,” he commented.

On Thursday, after meeting Beshir, Ban and the Sudanese government announced the resumption of peace talks next month between Khartoum and the rebel factions in the country’s western Darfur region.

The UN secretary general also visited the war-ravaged Darfur region where, according to UN estimates, some 200,000 people have died and two million more have fled their homes since 2003.

Washington has described the scorched earth policy adopted by Khartoum against ethnic minority villages suspected of supporting the rebels as genocidal.

Khartoum says 9,000 people have died.

(AFP)