China calls Darfur peace accord a ‘major step,’
May 08, 2006 (BEIJING) — China welcomed the signing of a peace accord between Sudan’s government and rebels, and said Monday it was willing to work with Khartoum to bring further peace to the country.
The accord signed Friday was a “major step in resolving the Darfur issue by political means,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in a statement posted to the ministry Web site.
Energy-hungry China has been criticized for doing business with oil-rich Sudan while turning a blind eye to human rights violations there. Beijing denies this and says it maintains a policy of not interfering in the domestic affairs of other countries.
“China welcomes the agreement,” Liu said. “China would like to work with the international community for the peace of the Darfur region at an early date.”
The Sudanese government pact with the Sudan Liberation Army of Minni Menawi follows two years of sporadic negotiations. It could help end a conflict that has killed at least 180,000 people in three years and left some 2 million displaced
The U.N. Security Council last month voted to sanction four Sudanese accused of human rights violations. China initially opposed and then abstained from the U.S.-backed resolution to impose the sanctions.
The Sudanese government provides 6 percent of China’s oil.
(ST/AP)