Sudanese president committed to ending conflict in western Darfur region

KAMPALA, June 7 (AFP) – Sudanese President General Omar el-Beshir pledged to end a 15-month conflict that has ravaged western Darfur region, amid renewed blame for his government’s failure to halt the fighting.

“We are committed and determined to resolving the current conflict in Darfur in western Sudan,” Beshir told a summit of nine African presidents and government officials attending a two-day Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) summit in Kampala.

Darfur is in the throes of what the United Nations has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, prompted by a rebel conflict that began in February 2003, and which has led to fierce and widely condemned retaliation by government forces and allied militia.

At least 10,000 people have died and an estimated one million people have fled the impoverished region following attacks by government troops and an allied militia, with more than 100,000 of them taking refuge in neighbouring Chad, according to UN figures.

“We are grateful for the assistance we have received from the African Union (AU) and the sisterly republic of Chad,” Beshir added, refering to the AU’s deployment of ceasefire monitors and Chad’s mediation efforts and hosting of refugees.

Washington on Monday renewed its criticism of Khartoum.

“Darfur is a brewing disaster for which the Sudanese government bears a lot of responsibility,” said US national security adviser Condoleezza Rice. “We will look to them to act responsibly to defuse that crisis.”