Ceasefire agreement reached over Sudan’s Darfur region

NAIROBI, April 8, 2004 (dpa) — A day after massive pressure from the United States and the United Nations, the Sudanese government has agreed on a ceasefire with rebel groups from the western region of Darfur, reports said Thursday.

The parties have agreed in principle on a ceasefire to allow humanitarian access to Darfur, local media in Chad, venue of the peace talks, reported.

According to Chadian media, the parties are still negotiating some minor points, but a signing is expected soon.

On Wednesday, U.S. President George Bush said that Sudan’s government must stop militias in Darfur from committing atrocities against civilians.

“The government of Sudan must not remain complicit in the brutalization of Darfur,” Bush said.

Earlier, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said military action against the Sudanese government may be considered if it continued to deny aid workers access to Darfur.

In Khartoum, the government said it would oppose any attempt by the international community to deploy troops in western Sudan.

“What we require and expect from the international community is humanitarian assistances and not troops”, Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismael said.

In recent days, high-ranking U.S. and U.N. officials have said that what happens in Darfur should be labelled ethnic cleansing.

Since fighting started between Arab militias and local rebel groups over a year ago, over 600,000 people have been displaced. More than a 100,000 people have taken refuge in neighbouring Chad.

The U.N. High Commission for Human Rights are due to begin interviewing refugees from Darfur, as part of an investigation into alleged human rights abuses by Arab militias.