US diplomat says it may take two years to disarm Darfur militias

NAIROBI, Sep 24, 2004 (AP) — A senior U.S. diplomat on Friday warned that there are “no quick fixes” to the crisis in the Darfur region of western Sudan, where a pro-government Arab militia is waging a campaign of murder, rape and arson against African villagers.

Charles Snyder, the U.S. State Department’s Senior Representative on Sudan, said it may take up to two years to disarm the Arab militia and secure the vast region for the return of 1.2 million people who fled their homes to escape the violence.

There are no “30-day, 90-day quick fixes” to the problem in Darfur, Snyder told reporters. “This is going to take, in my view, 18 months to two years to conclude the first phase” of securing the region for people to return to their homes.

Pro-government Arab militias, known as Janjaweed, are accused of waging a 19-month campaign of violence on African villagers in Darfur. According to United Nations estimates, more than 1.2 million people have fled their homes to escape the violence and more than 50,000 have died.