EU worried about humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s Darfur

KHARTOUM, March 4 (AFP) — President Omar al-Beshir held talks Thursday with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) about aid to Sudan’s western Darfur region as Europe voiced concern over the “escalating” humanitarian crisis there.

Beshir said huge quantities of supplies were now on their way from Khartoum to violence-hit Darfur during talks with ICRC president Jakob Kellenberger, a minister said.

State Foreign Minister Al Tigani Salih Fidhail told reporters that Beshir praised the ICRC’s aid in general and to Darfur in particular. He added that aid corridors were not only open in the west, but also in the south and north.

Meanwhile, the European Union voiced “serious” concern about the humanitarian crisis in the region and urged Khartoum and rebel groups to guarantee safe passage for relief to all areas affected by the conflict.

Brussels “strongly” condemned attacks by pro-government Janjaweed militiamen on villages and centres for internally displaced persons (IDP), and it urged the government to “put an end to the Janjaweed atrocities,” said a statement.

It also urged the government to “thoroughly” investigate the militia practices and “ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.”

The European Union called on the parties to agree an immediate ceasefire and negotiate a restoration of peace and stability in the region, said the statement faxed to AFP by the Dutch embassy.

The European Union says more than 700,000 people have been displaced within Sudan since February last year when the rebellion erupted over alleged government neglect of the impoverished region neighboring Chad.

Some 3,000 people have died in the conflict and another 100,000 Sudanese are estimated to have fled across the border into Chad, say humanitarian groups.