UN’s Ban disappointed by Darfur ceasefire violation
November 27, 2008 (UNITED NATIONS) – U.N. Chief Ban Ki-Moon expressed yesterday his disappointment that the government forces continue their military attack in the troubled region despite unilateral ceasefire declared by the Sudanese president earlier this month.
The statement comes after the hybrid peacekeeping force confirmed visible effects of air strikes and the presence of unexploded ordnance on the ground. This investigation was conducted after attack on SLA-M on 21-22 November in Abu Dangal, south Darfur.
The five-year-old Darfur conflict, international experts say, has killed 200,000 people and driven 2.5 million from their homes. Khartoum says only 10,000 have died.
The latest reported violence came just over a week after Sudan’s president announced an “immediate and unconditional” cease-fire in the western region.
Also, the UN Secretary General also hailed the appointment of the National Electoral Commission describing it as a major step towards implementation the Comprehensive Peace Agreement which ended more than two decades of war.
Organizing free and fair elections next year is a key element of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement concluding the north-south civil war, which killed at least 2 million people and displaced 4.5 million others.
The UN stands ready to support the electoral process. Ban’s spokesperson Michele Montas told a news briefing in New York on Wednesday.
(ST)