Sudan security forces in Darfur region to double -BBC

LONDON, Aug 03, 2004 (Dow Jones) — The authorities in Sudan have announced plans to double the number of security forces in the troubled Darfur region to 12,000 over the next four months, reports the BBC on its Web site.

The news came at a meeting in Khartoum between government officials and a senior U.N. representative, Jan Pronk.

The U.N. has given the government 30 days to disarm the Janjaweed militias, accused of widespread atrocities against non-Arab groups.

More than one million people have fled their homes in 18 months of conflict.

Pronk told the BBC there had been positive progress in implementing last month’s agreement between the U.N. and Sudan on improving security for the people of Darfur.

He said a U.N. mission to the area last week had found no evidence that the Sudanese government was continuing to force displaced people to return to their villages against their will.

“There are still many militia around,” Pronk said. “That is leading to a great deal of insecurity. Also the rebel activities are adding to the insecurity.

“But security in the camps has improved,” he added.

The Sudanese Foreign Minister, Mustafa Osman Ismail, said the meeting had agreed on measures to improve conditions for those displaced by the fighting.

He said the U.N. had acknowledged his government’s concern over the 30-day deadline for disarming the Arab militias blamed for the conflict in Darfur – what the U.N. wanted, he said, was progress in that direction.

BBC Web site:http://www.bbc.co.uk