UN official says Sudan shows strong commitment to Darfur issue

KHARTOUM, Feb 16, 2005 (Xinhua) — A UN official said here Wednesday the Sudanese government is showing a strong political commitment to the Darfur issue.

The spokesperson for the United Nations advance mission in the Sudan, Radhia Achouri..(AP).

At a press conference, spokesperson for the UN Secretary General’s representative in Sudan Radia Achouri expressed satisfaction at Sudan’s appointment of its First Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha to handle the Darfur issue.

Achouri said the vice president proposed a number of positive points last week to the UN Security Council on the Darfur issue.

The spokesperson also reaffirmed the importance of halting violence in the Darfur region, urging the conflicting sides to respond to the international community’s demands.

“The international community will support the voluntary return of the displaced people in Darfur if two conditions are provided,” Achouri said.

She said the first condition was the provision of a secure atmosphere for the return and the second was the provision of at least the minimum amount of living resources in the home areas of the displaced before their return.

Violence flared up in February 2003 between local farmers and militia over scarce natural resources in the western Darfur region.

After two years of clashes, during which many people were killed and more displaced, two main rebel groups began painstaking peace talks with the Sudanese government.

A ceasefire agreement had been signed between the two sides, but violations were often reported on both sides.