30-day peace plan for Darfur

2004-08-07 09:08

United Nations - The Sudanese government, under threat of UN sanctions, has approved a 30-day action plan to ease the humanitarian crisis in Darfur and begin disarming the outlaw groups that have been terrorizing the western province, a UN spokesperson said on Friday.

"The agreement reached on Wednesday night ... has now been finalised by the Sudanese government," said Fred Eckhard, spokesperson for UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

The plan was negotiated by Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail and Jan Pronk, Annan's special envoy for Sudan.

"A formal copy of the agreement will be signed by Mr Pronk and the foreign minister and officially issued on Monday," said Eckhard.

The plan details measures to be taken within 30 days to begin disarming the Janjaweed Arab militias and other outlaw bands that have been preying on Darfur's black population, to improve security in the province and to take measures to ease the humanitarian crisis there.

Annan welcomed the agreement between Pronk and Sudan's government, Eckhard said.

"The Secretary-General attaches great importance to substantive and verifiable progress being made during the next 30 days towards restoring full security for the Darfur region," he said.

The Janjaweed are blamed for much of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur and the United States and other nations have accused the Sudanese government of giving them free rein to quell a rebellion in the region by black African groups.

The UN Security Council on July 30 passed a US-sponsored resolution giving Sudan 30 days to act or face international action, including the implicit threat of punitive sanctions.

While Sudan's government might not be able to fulfil all of the resolution's requirements by August 30, "there are several actions that they can take now to demonstrate commitment to comply," the text of the 30-day action plan says.

Up to 50 000 people have died in Darfur, according to the UN, and some 1.2 million more have been displaced since rebels launched an uprising early last year.

The Darfur rebellion, which started as a grassroots revolt in February 2003, has spawned what the UN calls the world's worst current humanitarian crisis.

- AFP