Liu Guijin, Special Representative of the Chinese Government for Darfur, paid a fact-finding tour Tuesday to the western Sudanese region of Darfur.

In Fashir, the capital city of North Darfur State, the Chinese special envoy visited Abu Shok, the biggest refugee camp in the state, where he inspected a distribution of rice and oil for the refugees.

Officials concerned told the Chinese official that the distribution was carried out once a month in the camp and each refugee can attain a daily quota of some 500 grams of foods, half of which were provided by the Sudanese government while the other half were provided by international relief organizations.

They said that most of the refugees in the camp are now living in sheds built by themselves with mud and straw as well as other materials of any kinds which they could pick up from the nearby areas.

The Chinese official told the crowds gathering outside the distribution site that the humanitarian assistances which the Chinese government had promised to offer for the Darfurian people during the past three years amounted to more than 10 million U.S. dollars.

"Some of the assistance materials, including tents and water pumps, have arrived in Darfur, and the rest will be transported to Sudan in the near future," Liu announced.

He also delivered a speech at the Legislative Council of North Darfur State, which has affiliated some two dozens of new members belonging to the faction of rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), which signed peace agreement with the government.

Among the three SLM factions taking part in the peace negotiations with the government last year, the above faction was the only one which signed the peace agreement while the other two have refused to signed the deal, claiming that the deal had failed to meet all their demands.

In his address, the Chinese special envoy praised the efforts exerted by the Sudanese government to solve the Darfur problem, hoping that the problem would be resolved as soon as possible until a comprehensive and lasting peace could be achieved in the region.

He held that the efforts for pushing forward the Darfur peace process at the current stage should be made on two tracks: persuading those who have not signed the Darfur Peace Agreement ( DPA) to return to the negotiating table; strengthening the joint peacekeeping operation of the African Union and the United Nations in the region.

"The two tracks can run parallel and be mutual complementary," Liu said, stressing the importance of respecting Sudan's unity, sovereignty and independence.

For their part, interlocutors hailed the Chinese government's decision to appoint a special representative for Darfur, saying that the special envoy's visit to Sudan and Darfur demonstrated China's sincere willingness to help resolving the Darfur problem.

Accusing the Western countries of "having their own agenda in Darfur", they reiterated their refusal of foreign interference in the Darfur conflicts because it could only make the problem more complicated.

Osman Mohammed Yousef Kibir, the governor of North Darfur State, said that security and humanitarian situations in Darfur were improving, adding that the Chinese special envoy's visit to Darfur came at a very critical time.

He admitted that Sudan was under mounting pressures of the Western countries, which is not for the interests of the Sudanese people but for the special interests of the Western countries themselves.

The Chinese delegation also visited Nyala, South Darfur State, where they inspected an activity center for youth and women in Al- Sarif Camp, which houses some 14,000 refugees.

Al-Haj Ata Al-Manan Idris, the South Darfur governor, stressed that the general situation in the state is stable as only three counties out of 41 had witnessed sporadic violent clashes which have taken place mainly between tribes.

"Almost every tribe has its own powerful militia," the governor said, adding that "some tribes prefer to solve their disputes through tribal practices, traditions and customs."

Foreign interference could only lead to counteractions, he stressed.

Liu arrived in Sudan on Saturday on his first visit in Sudan since he was appointed to the post of the Chinese special representative earlier this month.

Source: Xinhua