Sudan vowed continued cooperation with the UN to end the Darfur crisis

KHARTOUM, August 31 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – A UN deadline for Sudan to rein in militias in Darfur expired Monday, August 30, as Khartoum's pledges to cooperate and African Union's deployment of troops to the turbulent region were considered key developments to defuse the crisis.

The UN Security Council will soon receive a report on Darfur from UN special envoy Jan Pronk, who is scheduled to address the 15-member body Thursday, September 2.

Reports from the United Nations and others have made clear that Sudan has not reined in the militias blamed for the clashes, as the council demanded in a resolution last month, but say it has cooperated in dealing with the humanitarian crisis.

Sudanese officials expressed confidence the country would avoid UN sanctions given steps it had taken to defuse the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, including allowing unfettered access to humanitarian relief supplies into the region and putting Janjaweed militiamen on trial.

"Actually the Sudanese government is enforcing the cease-fire agreement and does not need to be reminded to do so," government delegation leader Majzoub Al-Khalifa said in Abuja, where peace talks are being held between the Sudanese government and Darfur rebels.

Majzoub was quoted by Reuters as saying he believed the United Nations would probably not advocate sanctions as his government had helped improve the situation on the ground and talks were still in progress.

The Khartoum government signed on August 21 an agreement with the United Nations to ensure the voluntary return of displaced Darfuris to their homes.

Issue of Sanctions

US officials said Washington is still concerned over the situation in Darfur, but admitted that it is moving with some positive indications there.

A spokesman for John Danforth, US ambassador to the United Nations, acknowledged the deployment of African troops to Darfur was a positive development.

"It has become increasingly clear that the key to protecting the people of Darfur is an AU mission in sufficient numbers," said the spokesman.

Around 150 Nigerian soldiers arrived Monday in Al-Fashir, capital of Northern Darfur state, to join troops sent by Rwanda to protect African Union representatives monitoring a cease-fire.

US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher declined to comment on any preliminary assessment that Washington may have about whether Khartoum has done enough to avoid the threat of sanctions, but said the United States remained concerned on a number of fronts.

"Security remains a major problem and while there have been some indications -- some might say spotty progress here and there -- there are still a lot of problems that do concern us," Boucher was quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP) as saying.

He refused to comment further until the UN report was delivered.

The Sudanese government has allowed US delegations into Darfur and camps of displaced people in Chad, much to show good intentions by Khartoum and refute claims of covering up for humanitarian crisis of Darfuris.

US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Constance Newman toured a camp near the town of Al-Fasher and was to meet senior Sudanese officials in Khartoum Tuesday, August 31, before returning to Washington Wednesday, September 1.

US Senator Jon Corzine, a New Jersey Democrat, was in Khartoum Monday as the head of a delegation of a US Democratic Party for talks with Sudanese leaders and UN staff.

According to the United Nations, more than 1.4 million people have fled their homes and more than 30,000 have been killed during the 18-month-old Darfur conflict, many in raids conducted by the Arab militia against black African tribes seen as sympathetic to two indigenous rebel groups.

Khartoum denies claims of supporting the Janjaweed, as it had put some of its militiamen on trial and vowed to end attacks on civilians regardless of their ethnicity.

Abuja Talks

The Abuja peace talks are also seen as a first step on the road to a permanent peace in Darfur.

But the rebels have already staged a 24-hour boycott of the peace talks in protest at the latest attacks, which they say killed 75 civilians in six villages.

Khartoum blames rebels for a flare-up of violence and foreign powers of fuelling tension in the predominantly Muslin region – which reports say has huge potential oil reserves and other natural riches.

The Sudanese Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs said rebels seized eight workers from the UN's World Food Program and the Sudanese Red Crescent in the area of Shangal Tubaya (Northern Darfur).

World Food Program spokesman Marcus Prior said three Sudanese working for his organization and five Sudanese Red Crescent workers had been last heard from Saturday, August 28, afternoon.