Pope sends emissary to Darfur; urges end to human rights abuses

VATICAN CITY, July 22, 2004 (AP) — Adding to international appeals, Pope John Paul II sent a special emissary Thursday to Darfur to express his solidarity with the stricken population, and called on the Sudanese government to put an end to violence and rights violations.

For more than a year, Arab militiamen have launched repeated attacks on Darfur’s black Africans, burning villages and leaving at least 30,000 dead. More than 1 million have fled their homes, and 2.2 million are in desperate need of food and medicine, aid groups say.

“The serious humanitarian situation in Darfur, which has recently stirred up a public outcry, is a cause of great concern” for the pope, said the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano.

“The Holy Father hopes that the voice of the people of Darfur will be heard and recognized, and that their fundamental human rights are respected,” he said.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned Wednesday that the international community may step in if Sudan’s government doesn’t act quickly to disarm the militias, known as the Janjaweed. The United Nations, rights groups and refugees have accused the government of backing the Arab fighters, which Sudanese officials deny.

Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, head of papal charities, will first meet with Catholic Church representatives in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and then travel with U.N. assistance to the Darfur region and visit refugee camps, the Vatican said.