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Egypt urges more time for Sudan on Darfur
CAIRO, July 24 (AFP) — Sudan should be given time to implement its commitments to the United Nations and the United States over the situation in the troubled western Darfur region, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said Saturday.
Arguing that the Darfur situation is complex, Abul Gheit said that the Sudanese government, with the support of the African Union, had begun taking steps to address it.
“We cannot tell Sudanese officials … ‘you have signed with us today and tomorrow you should immediately achieve complete calm’,” the Egyptian minister said.
He was referring to pledges made by the Sudanese government earlier this month to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and US Secretary of State Colin Powell on issues such as facilitating access for humanitarian groups, disarming militias blamed for atrocities, resolving the conflict with rebels in the region and prosecuting suspected war criminals.
The United Nations estimates that upwards of 30,000 people have died in the 16-month conflict in Darfur pitting government forces and their militia allies against two main rebel groups in the region, the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement.
Both the United States and the United Nations have accused Khartoum of reneging on its commitments and are pushing for tougher action in the UN Security Council against the government and the other parties, threatening sanctions and possible military intervention.
Abul Gheit said Egypt had contacted Security Council members over the issue and warned them about the consequences of rushing through a resolution that might further complicate the situation.
Arguing that the Darfur situation is complex, Abul Gheit said that the Sudanese government, with the support of the African Union, had begun taking steps to address it.
“We cannot tell Sudanese officials … ‘you have signed with us today and tomorrow you should immediately achieve complete calm’,” the Egyptian minister said.
He was referring to pledges made by the Sudanese government earlier this month to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and US Secretary of State Colin Powell on issues such as facilitating access for humanitarian groups, disarming militias blamed for atrocities, resolving the conflict with rebels in the region and prosecuting suspected war criminals.
The United Nations estimates that upwards of 30,000 people have died in the 16-month conflict in Darfur pitting government forces and their militia allies against two main rebel groups in the region, the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement.
Both the United States and the United Nations have accused Khartoum of reneging on its commitments and are pushing for tougher action in the UN Security Council against the government and the other parties, threatening sanctions and possible military intervention.
Abul Gheit said Egypt had contacted Security Council members over the issue and warned them about the consequences of rushing through a resolution that might further complicate the situation.