German FM meets Sudanese counterpart over Darfur crisis

KHARTOUM, July 12 (AFP) — German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer met his Sudanese counterpart Mustafa Ismail to press the Khartoum government to stop a humanitarian disaster in the western region of Darfur.

Fischer, who arrived in Khartoum late Sunday, was to call on the government to immediately rein in Arab militia accused by the United Nations of carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing in Darfur.

Diplomats said Fischer, who is also to meet President Omar al-Beshir, would insist that Sudan honor its pledge of immediate action to stop the bloodshed in Darfur or face international sanctions.

In an interview in a Sudanese newspaper, Ismail criticized Germany’s “negative” views on Darfur while promising to give Fischer a full account of the situation.

“The government will update Fischer on the truth of the situation in Darfur and the efforts by Khartoum to contain the problem, despite the negative German positions on this question, whether it be at the UN Security Council or on the European Union level,” he told the state daily Al-Anbaa.

“Germany is one of the most intransigent countries when it comes to Darfur and is constantly pushing to have the issue dealt with in a draft resolution at the UN Security Council.”

Khartoum agreed to disarm the militias, provide access for aid workers and hold political talks to defuse the crisis following a meeting earlier this month with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell said during a visit last week that Sudan would face global sanctions if it did not move to stop the violence in Darfur.

More than 10,000 people are estimated to have died in Darfur and at least 1.2 million have been driven from their homes since February 2003, when black African groups revolted against the Arab government in Khartoum.

Pro-government Arab Janjaweed militia retaliated with brutal force, provoking what the United Nations has called the world’s worst current humanitarian catastrophe.