Annan faults Sudan government on Darfur crisis

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 1 (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Wednesday a much larger international force was needed in Sudan’s Darfur region “as soon as possible” since the government has failed to fully protect African villagers from Arab militias.

In a report to the Security Council, Annan said the Sudanese government has made some progress in reining in the Janjaweed militias but called for a larger international force to decrease violence and better protect civilians.

“Stopping attacks against civilians and ensuring their protection is the responsibility of the government of Sudan. The government has not met this obligation fully, despite the commitments it has made,” he said.

“I believe that a substantially increased international presence in Darfur is required as quickly as possible,” Annan added.

Annan submitted the report at the request of the Security Council, which in late July gave Khartoum government 30 days to fulfill pledges to rein in the Janjaweed and prosecute those responsible for violence against Darfur’s African villagers in what the United Nations has called the world’s worst humanitarian disaster.

The 15-nation council has threatened unspecified sanctions against Khartoum but it is deeply divided on the matter and unlikely to take any action at this time, diplomats said.

U.S. and U.N. officials accuse Khartoum of supporting the Janjaweed militia in an ethnic cleansing campaign that has driven more than 1 million African villagers from their homes and led to widespread killing and rapes.