UN envoy warns of chaos in Darfur
A special United Nations envoy has warned of chaos in Sudan’s Darfur province if the national government is not able to control its troops, reported Aljazeera.
Jan Pronk, the UN General Secretariat special envoy, on Friday issued the warning.
The warning came amidst a Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) statement announcing that along with the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) it agreed to sign a security agreement draft submitted by the African Union.
The Sudanese government has, however, refused to sign it.
Adel al-Baz, the chief editor of the Sudanese paper, al-Sahafa commented that both parties had agreed on a no-fly zone over Darfur which meant “no control over the province”.
“I support Jan Pronk that the situation is turning chaotic,” he said.
Assassinated
There are several movements in different parts rebelling against the government, al-Baz said. On Thursday, one of the leaders of an Arabic tribe was assassinated which worsened the situation, he pointed out.
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Rebels have no option but to |
“If Allah or the international community does not defuse the crisis, there will be comprehensive anarchy,” the chief editor warned.
After the situation has deteriorated if the Sudanese government approves the agreement, it won’t help. It will be too late, he said.
The rebels have no other alternative but to apply pressure on the Sudanese government through the international community, he said.
The government has a tendency to buy time and stretch the crisis, al-Baz said.
“Making Darfur a no-fly zone would cause the province to be targeted for more attacks creating total chaos,” the chief editor added.
Stalled
On Thursday, peace talks between the Sudanese government and Darfur rebels stalled over a rebel demand that Khartoum establish a no-fly zone over Darfur and disarm government-backed militias.
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“Security in Darfur is the responsibility of the Sudanese government first” Mustafa Osman Ismail, |
A meeting with African Union Chairman and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo failed to produce a compromise, a rebel leader said.
The slow-moving talks were aimed at ending 22 months of conflict in the region.
Rebel leaders said they were unwilling to sign a humanitarian deal forged in a previous round of talks unless the government commited to a no-fly zone over Darfur and disarmed the Janjawid militias, accused of attacking civilians.
Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail said Sudan would not accept a no-fly zone over Darfur.
“Security in Darfur is the responsibility of the Sudanese government first,” he said, adding the government would not be able to take responsibility for the security situation in Darfur, the size of France, if its planes and helicopters were grounded.