First truce observers in Sudan’s Darfur to deploy next week: African Union
ADDIS ABABA, May 28 (AFP) — The Sudanese government and rebels from Darfur agreed that the first international observers of a fragile ceasefire in the war-ravaged western region would deploy there next week.
African Union (AU) Peace and Security Commissioner Said Djinnit said after the deal was sealed in the Ethiopian capital that at least six initial observers from the pan-African body would deploy in Sudan on Wednesday.
“This accord therefore gives the green light to the Union to deploy its first observers. The conditions are now met for deployment,” the head of the AU conflict management team, Corentin Ki Doulaye, told AFP.
The deal between Khartoum and two rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan Liberation Movement, who have been at war since February 2003, also covered details of the composition and role of a ceasefire commission provided for in a separate deal signed in April.
The UN has described the situation in Darfur as the world’s worst current humanitarian catastrophe.
At least 10,000 people have been killed over the last 15 months and hundreds of thousands are at risk of starvation because the conflict has prevented crops being harvested.
More than 100,000 Darfur refugees have fled west across the border into Chad.
Khartoum has been widely accused of conducting a campaign of ethnic cleansing in Darfur with the help of local militia groups and of targeting civilians.
The AU’s Corentin Ki Doulaye said that ultimately around 120 observers from the European Union, the United States, the Sudanese government, the rebel movements and the Chadian mediators would be deployed in Darfur.
He added that the observers would be ready to investigate allegations of ceasefire violations, helping “in the end to find a political solution to the conflict.”
Both the Sudanese government and the rebels have accused each other of violating a ceasefire agreement sealed on April 8.
The United States said the agreement was key to restoring peace to the region but repeated urgent calls for immediate distribution of humanitarian aid.
“We think this is a crucial step toward establishing peace in Darfur, because it will enable international monitoring of the ceasefire,” State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.
“Continuing violence at Darfur is the greatest obstacle to humanitarian assistance reaching the people in need,” he told reporters.
Under Friday’s agreement, the government and rebels also vowed to give the observers unrestricted freedom of movement and access throughout Darfur.
It also says that up to 300 guards should be deployed “in the event that the parties are unable to provide effective protection” for the international observers.
The monitors are also charged with “determining clearly the sites occupied by the combatants of the armed opposition and verifying the neutralization of the armed militias,” it says.