First meeting of Darfur ceasefire commission this weekend

NAIROBI, May 20 (AFP) — An international commission set up to monitor a shaky ceasefire in Sudan’s western Darfur region is due to hold its first meeting in Addis Ababa this weekend, the African Union (AU) announced Thursday.

Parties to the 15-month-old devastating conflict in Darfur — the Khartoum government and two rebel groups — and officials from the European Union, United States and AU are due to take part in the meeting, Sam Ibok, the director of the AU’s peace and security department told AFP.

The ceasefire commission was set up on April 8 when the warring sides signed a renewable 45-day ceasefire.

But it has yet to meet or to deploy military observers in Darfur, where there have been several accusions of ceasefire violations.

Ibok said the parties to the conflict disagreed over the composition of the observer team and that the rebels, for example, were “not convinced wee should have the US in the team.”

“We are working on a number of about 100 observers. They would be accompanied by military protecters. (This) is not accepted by the governement of Sudan which say they can provide the security,” explained Ibok.

The UN believes that at least 10,000 people have died since the war broke out and has accused Khartoum of using militia forces of ethnic cleansing in Darfur.

There is increasing concern about a looming famine in the region, because few crops have been planted ahead of rains due later this month and humanitarian access is very limited.