No time to lose in resolving Sudan's long nightmare, says Annan

There is no time to waste in making efforts to end Sudan's long nightmare, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has told a special session of the security council.

The council was meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, in an attempt to give "final impetus" to peace talks between rebel factions and the Sudanese government being held in the south of the country today.

The delegates heard that it was "high time to conclude the peace talks" being held in Naivasha, Kenya, between the Khartoum government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and Army. If the peace talks are concluded successfully, it could lead to the formation of a new North-South coalition government with a new army drawing in the SPLM.

Acknowledged by the UN to be the world's worst humanitarian crisis, civil strife in Sudan has forced 1.45 million people from their homes, and a further 200,000 have sought refuge in neighbouring Chad.

Pro-government militias stand accused of killing and raping thousands of villagers after rebel groups took up arms against the government last year.

At the start of the two-day session, Mr Annan said: “The terrible situation in Darfur has been brought about mainly by deliberate acts of violence against civilians, including widespread killing and rape."

He added: "When crimes on such a scale are being committed, and a sovereign state appears unable or unwilling to protect its own citizens, a grave responsibility falls on the international community, and specifically on this Council."

The Secretary General also highlighted the financial cost of turmoil in the country – the allocation resources has been paralysed, foreign aid has been discouraged, and both Sudanese and foreign investors have been scared off.

“The effects of delay are felt not only in the south, but elsewhere too, as conflict spreads to more parts of the country. The devastating conflict in Darfur is glaring evidence of this,” Mr Annan added.

The international humanitarian organisation, Human Rights Watch, today called for accountability over human rights abuses to be included in the peace deal as Sudanese authorities had acted with impunity during their "ongoing atrocities in Darfur".

“Unless they are held accountable for abuses in the South, the Sudanese authorities will continue to believe they can get away with murder in Darfur,” said Jemera Rone, Sudan researcher for Human Rights Watch.

“There’s still time for UN Security Council members meeting in Nairobi to insist that the final peace agreement includes accountability for past abuses and protections against future ones,” he added.

(gmcg/sp)