UN eyes peace deals this year in east, west Sudan

UNITED NATIONS, July 22 (Reuters) – The launch of Sudan’s government of national unity, ending a long civil war in the south, has created hope for peace deals by the end of the year in separate conflicts in the western Darfur region as well as eastern Sudan, a U.N. official said on Friday.

Top U.N. envoy for Sudan, Jan Pronk .

“Things have changed; 2005 could become the year of decisive change,” Jan Pronk, the top U.N. envoy for Sudan, told the 15-nation Security Council in his latest progress report.

A fifth round of talks on Darfur being held in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, made gains, in contrast to earlier rounds, and negotiations on the war in the east could begin in August, Pronk said.

The new government in Khartoum, with former rebel leader John Garang installed as a first vice president, was sworn in July 9, in line with a peace agreement signed in January. The accord between the government and Garang’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement ended more than 20 years of war in the south.

A new U.N. mission intended to safeguard the peace in the south has been slow to gear up. Eventually expected to total 10,000 troops, it numbered just 960 soldiers at the end of June.

Pronk acknowledged the new force was running into a number of difficulties but predicted it would fall into place by the end of October.

Its top priority would be to ease the return of 600,000 people driven from their homes by the fighting, he said. But to ensure a smooth return, more money would be needed from the international community.

The world body has called for $2 billion (1.1 billion pounds) for food, shelter and other emergency needs in 2005 but to date just 40 percent of that has been pledged, he said.

Additional funding would be needed for development projects, he said, suggesting an international consortium led by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund draw up a development plan.

“The humanitarian situation in south Sudan is very fragile. Not addressing this wholeheartedly would betray the expectations of millions and would jeopardize the chance to make peace sustainable,” he said.

The next six years in particular were crucial because the peace accord calls for a referendum in the south in six years’ time on secession.