Sudan tries to comply with UN resolution on Darfur: FM
KHARTOUM, Aug 04, 2004 (Xinhua) — Sudan will try to comply with a UN Security Council resolution on the crisis in its western Darfur region, Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail said here Wednesday.
The Sudanese government is determined to settle the Darfur crisis in the three areas of humanitarianism, politics and security, said Ismail, while meeting with Pakistan’s presidential envoy and Deputy Foreign Minister Riaz Khokhar.
Khokhar reiterated that Pakistan hopes the international community would give enough time to the Sudanese government so that it could implement the UN resolution and the agreement that was concluded with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan last month.
Khokhar delivered a letter from Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf for his Sudanese counterpart Omar Hasan Ahmad Al-Bashir.The letter concerned the Darfur crisis and the bilateral ties between Pakistan and Sudan, according to the Sudanese news agency.
The United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution on Friday threatening sanctions against Sudan if it fails to disarm the marauding Arab militia in the western Darfur region and prosecute its leaders.
The resolution was passed by a vote of 13-0, with abstentions from China and Pakistan. It required UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to report in 30 days, and monthly thereafter, to the councilon Sudan’s compliance with the demands.
Darfur has been labeled as a site of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. A 17-month conflict between two rebel groups,formed by black tribes in the region, and the government and the Arab militia has left up to 30,000 people dead and more than 1 million internally displaced. Another 150,000 people were forced to flee to neighboring Chad.
While denying having any links with the Arab militia, Khartoum said that it has dispatched 5,000 policemen to Darfur to crack down on the militia.
Meanwhile, a violent conflict broke out between the Arab militia and two rebel groups, “the Sudan Liberation Army” and “theJustice and Equality Movement,” Tuesday night.
The conflict, caused by the 5,000 men of the Arab militia, continued till Wednesday daytime.