SUDAN: United States special envoy to Sudan strikes an upbeat tone regarding possibilities of improvement in the situation in war-torn Darfur

On a visit to Sudan, United States special envoy to Sudan Andrew Natsios on Wednesday (December 13) struck an upbeat tone regarding the chances of an improvement in the situation in the war-torn Darfur region, but added that Washington wanted to see actions on the ground. "We've agreed that there are some steps that we can take in the next week that may make some progress," Natsios told reporters after a meeting in Khartoum with Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir as he wrapped up a four-day visit to Sudan. "So, I think it was a productive meeting," Natsios added. Natsios arrived in Sudan on Saturday in a fresh effort by Washington to pressure Khartoum into accepting United Nations troops in the western region of Darfur. The United States and United Nations have been trying to persuade the Sudanese government to let a U.N. peacekeeping force deploy in Darfur but Khartoum has refused, saying that would amount to a return to colonialism. In the face of Khartoum's refusal, advocates of a U.N. mission are looking at alternatives that will protect the people of Darfur while winning Sudanese government approval. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan proposed a three-phase arrangement to break the deadlock over the question of UN troops in Darfur, which the African Union and endorsed and Sudan accepted reluctantly. Sudan agreed to the first phase, which called on the U.N. to support AU forces in Darfur, expressed reservations over the second phase that increases U.N. role in the region and rejected the third phase, arguing it was an attempt to U.N. enforce Security Council resolution 1706 through the back door. The resolution authorized the deployment of U.N. troops in Darfur and Washington has been calling for its implementation. "We are going to do our part and we hope the Sudanese government will do their part, specifically with respect to phase I and phase II of Kofi Annan's plan in Darfur," the American envoy said. The AU has a 7,000-strong peace force in Darfur that has been unable to stem the violence, which left an estimated 200,000 people dead and over two million homeless. The conflict in Darfur has intensified after a short-lived lull which followed the partial peace agreement signed by a faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement in May. "The most important thing for us is that events on the ground for the people in Darfur and in the south; that things change. "Making agreements is good, but the only thing that's important to our government right now is actual actions on the ground that change the situation," Natsios said. Mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in early 2003, accusing the central government of marginalizing the arid area. Khartoum mobilized tribal militias to quell the revolt. Those militias now stand accused of a campaign of rape, murder and pillage.

ITN Source | December 14, 2006

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