UN chief hails signing of truce for Sudan's Darfur region

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, April 09, 2004

UN chief hails signing of truce for Sudan's Darfur region

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United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday hailed the signing of a ceasefire agreement between the Sudanese government and two rebel groups fighting for autonomy of the Darfur region in western Sudan.

Annan "welcomes today's signing of a humanitarian ceasefire agreement between the government of Sudan, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)," said a statement issued by a UN spokesman in New York.

"He trusts this agreement will result in an immediate cessationof hostilities and an end to attacks against civilians, as well asfull humanitarian access to all people in need of assistance and protection," said the statement.

Annan, who is currently on a tour of Europe, "encourages the parties to pursue efforts for a sustainable solution to the problem in Darfur," it added.

The Sudanese government and the rebel groups reached the truce at Chad's capital, N'djamena, earlier in the day after days of negotiations with the mediation of Chad and the African Union.

The 45-day truce, which will come into effect within 72 hours, came as the international community increased pressure on Katumu to move quickly to prevent the humanitarian crisis in Darfur from deteriorating.

In a speech to mark the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide in Geneva, Annan warned of a humanitarian disaster in Darfur and called for an international military intervention in the region.

The rebellion of SLA and JEM, which started in February 2003, has killed over 10,000 people and displaced another 670,000. Currently, a UN team is in Darfur to assess the humanitarian situation there.

Source: Xinhua

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