France, Germany urge UN Forces deployment in Darfur

Oct 12, 2006 (PARIS) — France and Germany Thursday urged the international community to focus more attention on the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region and to press the government to accept U.N. peacekeepers.

Meeting in Paris for a Franco-German summit, officials from both nations issued a joint statement calling for “international efforts to end the tragedy the Darfur populations endure.” The statement also called on the Sudanese government and rebel groups to immediately suspend military activity.

The statement urged the Sudanese government to agree to the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers and urged all parties to join a May peace agreement signed by the government and one of the main rebel groups.

U.N. humanitarian chief Jan Egeland made a similar statement Wednesday, calling for Arab countries, as well as China, India, Pakistan and Malaysia, to pressure the Sudanese government to agree to allow U.N. peacekeeping forces into the country.

Sudan has refused to allow U.N. troops to replace an underfunded and ill- equipped African Union force that has been unable to stop the fighting.

The conflict began in early 2003 when ethnic African tribes revolted against the Khartoum government. The Arab-dominated government is accused of responding by unleashing militia fighters who have carried out atrocities against civilians. The warfare has killed an estimated 200,000 people and displaced more than 2 million.

(ST/AP)