UN’s Annan warns Sudan to protect Darfur civilians
By Evelyn Leopold
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 3 (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned the Sudanese government on Tuesday to comply with a Security Council resolution threatening sanctions and believed Khartoum was getting the message “loud and clear.”
The 15-member council last Friday adopted a resolution giving Sudan 30 days to disarm and prosecute marauding militia or it would consider unspecified sanctions against Khartoum.
“I think the resolution is very clear, that if they do not perform, there will be consequences, and I think the government of Sudan has got the message loud and clear. You can tell by their reaction,” Annan told reporters.
Annan, who returned over the weekend from West Africa, said that despite protests from the Sudan government over the sanctions threat, “I think the recent comments from Khartoum indicate that the government will comply, would want to cooperate with the Security Council.”
Annan a month ago signed an agreement in Khartoum, in which the government pledged to provide security to uprooted African villagers, chased from their homes by Arab militia, called Janjaweed, with the aid of the Sudanese military.
The Janjaweed are accused of murder and rape, leaving 1 million herded into camps and 2 million people in need of shelter, food and medicine.
“The council is insisting that they just protect their own population,” Annan said. “They must show demonstrably that they are determined, they are serious, and they are protecting the people, and this has to be seen by the people and felt by the people, not just public declarations.”
Annan said there was some confusion between the 30 days given Sudan by the Security Council and a 90-day humanitarian plan for massive assistance in Darfur devised by U.N. agencies. Sudan was to expedite visas and equipment for international relief organizations.
“That was a separate issue from the government’s responsibility to protect its people,” Annan said.
His special envoy in Sudan, Jan Pronk, said on Tuesday security in Darfur camps had improved, although there were still militia around and opposing African rebel groups.
But in New York, Francis Deng, a Sudanese who is the U.N. envoy for internally displaced persons, said Darfur was beset by “persistent insecurity and human rights violations.”
Deng, who just returned from the Darfur region, said people remained afraid to return to their homes because of continued attacks by the Janjaweed. Khartoum, he said in a statement, was pressuring them to return before it was safe to do so.