Zoellick presses Sudan on Darfur, may visit again

WASHINGTON, June 23 (Reuters) – U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick urged Sudan and rebel groups on Thursday to stop the violence in Darfur and suggested he might visit Sudan in July if a national unity government was formed.

US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick

The State Department said Zoellick met Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail for 90 minutes and discussed the conflict and humanitarian crisis in the western region of Darfur, the implementation of a North-South peace agreement signed in January and recent violence in eastern Sudan.

Tens of thousands have been killed and more than 2 million have fled their homes during the fighting in Darfur, which the United States called genocide and which the International Criminal Court is investigating for suspected war crimes.

The conflict, sparked by a revolt by mostly non-Arab rebels, has run into its third year in Darfur.

Khartoum bombed civilian villages it says rebels were using as human shields and the United Nations says the Sudan government armed Arab militias accused of widespread rape, killing and looting.

Although major conflict has stopped in the past few months, armed attacks are still widespread in Darfur.

State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said Zoellick pressed Sudan to do everything it could to quell the violence, and stressed the importance of deploying more African Union monitors and ensuring humanitarian aid continued to flow.

“The deputy also stressed the need for the government of Sudan to take action and all sides to take action to haht the violence,” Ereli told reporters.

The spokesman said the two men also discussed new fighting in the eastern Sudan, which analysts fear could become the next conflict in Africa’s largest country as rebel groups fight for a greater share of Sudan’s wealth and power.

A separate 21-year conflict between the North and South formally ended only in January and Zoellick emphasized the importance of carrying out a peace agreement that envisages the formation of a national unity government by July 9.

Ereli said Zoellick might attend the July 9 inauguration of the new government, making his third trip to Sudan since he took office in February, “if the process of forming the government remains on track.”

There have been fears the new government, which would include members of the current government as well as the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army John Garang, might not be formed by July 9.

If Zoellick goes, Ereli said he would also expect to visit Darfur for the third time this year.