KHARTOUM, October 6 (IslamOnlilne.net & News Agencies) – British Prime Minister Tony Blair flew into Khartoum on Wednesday, October 6, with "five demands" to the Sudanese government.

"We want the government to commit to reaching a comprehensive agreement, north and south, in Sudan by the end of the year," Blair told reporters after talks with Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, reported Agence France Presse (AFP).

The five demands are boosting African Union forces in Darfur, identifying all government troops and militia, agreement with the rebels to withdraw troops, an overall peace accord and facilitating the delivery and distribution of aid.

The African Union confirmed Friday, October 1, that Sudan's government has formally accepted the reinforcement of the AU force in Darfur, by deploying deployment of 3,500 more soldiers and 800 more police officers.

The AU currently has some 300 soldiers in Darfur, whose task is to protect some 150 observers monitoring a ceasefire reached in April between Khartoum and Darfur rebel groups.

Blair, the first British prime minister to visit Sudan since independence, said the fact he had traveled to Khartoum showed "the seriousness with which this is taken".

He stressed that "international focus will not go away while this issue remains outstanding."

Blair described his talks with Bashir and First Vice President Ali Osman Taha as "frank and open and, I think, constructive".

However, he warned that once Khartoum had committed to peace, "They have then got to follow through with practice."

He played down the idea of sending British troops to the region and insisted that although the threat of sanctions against Khartoum was not immediate, "The pressure remains on."

Shortly before Blair left Downing Street for Khartoum, his official spokesman said the British prime minister would lay more pressures on Khartoum over Darfur.

"The purpose of going to Sudan is to underline the clear message to the government of Sudan from the international community as outlined by the United Nations."

"That message is that Sudan must comply with UN resolutions. It must negotiate a peaceful settlement with the rebels, just as we are saying to the rebels that they must negotiate a peaceful ceasefire."

In another development, Sudan expressed satisfaction with the latest report of UN special envoy Jan Pronk on Khartoum's compliance with the UN Security Council resolution.

"We may not agree with all that was mentioned in the report but there are positive aspects in it like where it points out that the situation in Darfur did not decline" in September, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mostafa Osman Ismail was quoted as saying by the official Al-Anbaa daily.

Pronk told the Security Council on Tuesday, October 5, that Khartoum has made no progress in stopping militia attacks against Darfur residents, disarming the militants or prosecuting those responsible for the worst atrocities.

He urged the Sudanese government to begin a process of reconciliation and consensus-building to ensure that the conflicts are not transformed "into a general antagonism between people with different religions or different ethnic backgrounds."

The UN envoy said that while Khartoum had not reversed the gains it had achieved in August, "there was no systematic improvement of people's security and no progress on ending impunity."