Sudan says keen to safeguard humanitarian groups in Darfur

September 24, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese government reiterated its keenness and ability on Monday to safeguard international relief organizations currently operating in the war- torn western Sudanese region of Darfur.

“We are desirous and able to guarantee the security of the humanitarian organizations, and we hope that what has happened to Oxfam not to be an incentive for other organizations to leave Darfur,” spokesman for Sudanese Foreign Ministry Ali al-Sadig told reporters.

Oxfam, a British aid agency, has announced that it would have to pull out of Darfur if the situation gets any more dangerous.

The organization claimed that one of its staff members has been killed and some 100 aid workers taken hostage and nearly 100 vehicles hijacked over the past year.

“The Sudanese government has proposed more than once to provide protection to the international organizations, but they refused the proposal on the pretext that this will jeopardize their neutrality and impartiality,” al-Sadig said.

The spokesman accused the rebel groups which refused to sign a peace deal with the Sudanese government of committing the hostility against the international organizations and humanitarian workers.

The peace talks between the Sudanese government and the rebel groups in Darfur, which have been deadlocked since a peace agreement was signed by the government and one rebel faction in May last year, will resume on October 27.

It is still unknown whether the upcoming negotiations will bring together all the rebel groups, since at least one of them has announced its boycott of the next negotiations to be held in the Libyan capital of Tripoli.

The Sudanese government said some 9,000 people have been killed in the Darfur conflict which erupted in February 2003, while international organizations gave a much larger figure on civilian casualties.

(Xinhua)