US says Khartoum “working hard” for political solution in Darfur

WASHINGTON, May 27 (AFP) — The United States said Friday that the Sudan government, which it had accused of genocide in Darfur, was now “working hard” for a political solution to restore order in the troubled western region.

US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick.bmp.

Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick made his remarks to reporters ahead of an African trip next week that will take him to Sudan after a stop in Rwanda for a regional conference.

Zoellick painted an improved picture of the situation in Darfur, where a two-year-old conflict pitting the government and its miltia allies against rebels has left between 180,000 and 300,000 people dead.

He said the level of violence had been significantly reduced since the earlier this year, humanitarian aid was starting to get in and movement made towards negotiations after the rebels were largely defeated.

“I believe that the government is working towards trying to find a poltiical solution,” said Zoellick, who made an initial trip to Sudan as the government’s number two diplomat in April.

He said Khartoum officials have been “trying to work cooperatively … with the rebels, but also from a context where the rebels have been pretty badly beaten.”

“Working hard for a poltiical solution does not mean that all problems have been solved but I think that’s what they have been trying to do. But there still are tests ahead.”

His comments contrasted with the US position earlier this year, expressing “grave concerns” over violence in Darfur, sticking by its description of genocide and proposing new UN sanctons against Khartoum.

Zoellick said pressure must be kept on Khartoum to stop their support of the Janjaweed militia, to facilitate the flow of relief supplies and to continue to engage the rebels in dialogue.

“The hard part is getting the rebels to get cohesion and engage,” he said.

Zoellick said the government saw the benefits of resolving the conflict in Darfur to reap the aid promised after it clinched a landmark peace deal with southern rebels in January to end 21 years of strife.

But he warned,, “I don’t mean to leave the impression that the Khartoum government is one that has necessarily turned a page and is all sweetness and light. These are extremely tough people.”

He said the world needed to “make it very clear to the government if they don’t cooperate they run the risk of losing the types of things they have started to create.”

Zoellick said he planned to take up such issues with John Garang, the former south Sudanese rebel leader, who was due to visit Washington from June 6 to 8.

The African Union is looking to boost its current 2,700-strong truce monitoring operation in Darfur to more than 7,700 by September. Zoellick said the operation appeared to be on track.

He said four countries, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Senegal, were ready to contribute battalions of about 1,000 men each.

“We’re now well on our way to starting to get people in by the end of June and I hope we’ll get sort of at least double the numbers pretty shortly thereafterwards,” he said.

Before heading for Sudan, Zoellick will travel to Rwanda to attend the annual meeting of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa summit.

He was also expected to meet with Rwandan government officials and visit the Genocide Memorial in Kigali.