Sudan says disarmament of militias taking place in Darfur

KHARTOUM/NAIROBI, Aug 19, 2004 (dpa) — Ahead of a meeting with the U.N. on Sudan’s progress in improving the situation in the war-ravaged Darfur region, Sudanese government officials claimed on Thursday disarmament of militias had begun in Darfur and safe zones for displaced civilians were being set up.

Sudan’s Interior Minister General Abdul Rahim Mohamed Hussain said the creation of eight safe zones in Darfur would be started within days, “by disarming the outlaw militias in these areas”.

A police official in Northern Darfur said 179 unlicensed “pieces of arms” had been confiscated.

Under a Plan of Action for Darfur, agreed between the U.N. and Sudan earlier this month, Khartoum has to create 20 kilometre-wide safe areas around camps for displaced people in Darfur, to protect them from continued attacks by the Janjaweed militia.

In spite of the government’s repeated assurances that the situation in Darfur is improving, refugees and displaced people have told the U.N. and other organizations of continued atrocities by the Janjaweed militia in Darfur in recent weeks.

The U.N. envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk, was due to meet Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail on Thursday evening to discuss progress made by the Sudanese government in complying with the demands of the U.N. Security Council.

On July 30, the Security Council passed a resolution demanding Khartoum disarm the Janjaweed militia and improve the humanitarian situation in Darfur, or face possible sanctions.

Khartoum now has a mere ten days before Pronk is due to report on Sudan’s progress to the Security Council.

Up to 50,000 people have died from violence, starvation and disease since the inception of the 18-month conflict in Darfur. At least 1.2 million people have been forced to flee from their homes, while two million are in acute need of food and medical attention.