Khartoum approves action plan for Darfur peace

KHARTOUM, Aug 9, 2004 (AFP) — Sudan’s government has approved an action plan drawn up by Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail and UN envoy Jan Pronk for restoring peace in Darfur, state-run media reported Monday.

Omdurman radio said the action plan to set up safe areas for the return of displaced people in the strife-torn Darfur region of western Sudan was approved in a cabinet meeting chaired Sunday by President Omar al-Beshir.

State Foreign Minister Al-Tigani Salih Fidhail, quoted in the media, said the plan was agreed under Sudan’s “legal and ethical responsibilities, rather than under any pressure”.

It was a “bilateral agreement” with the United Nations, “but the holders of arms are regarded as a party to the plan”, he said, referring to armed rebel groups and militias in Darfur.

The plan, to be implemented within 30 days in line with a UN Security Council resolution, calls for Khartoum to secure specific villages and camps, as well as to set up safe access routes and escorted convoys, said Fidhail.

It also calls for a ceasefire between government forces and the rebels in the safe areas, and for the African Union and other international monitors to ensure the rebels lay down their arms.

The plan reportedly also commits Khartoum to ensure that pro-government militias do the same.

The cabinet on Sunday appealed to the international community to live up to its responsibilities and offer support and humanitarian assistance to help achieve stability in the Darfur region.

The government confirmed it was ready to hold peace negotiations with the Darfur rebels in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on August 23, said Al-Anbaa, an official daily.