Amid renewed fighting in Darfur, Ban urges all sides to reach final settlement

Voicing concern at the humanitarian impact of continued fighting between Government and rebel forces in Sudan’s Darfur region, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on all sides to enter immediately into discussions on a final settlement of the conflict.

Renewed fighting this week has already driven some 43,000 people from their homes, according to the United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID), the more than 20,000-strong uniformed force set up in 2008 to help end a war that has killed at least 300,000 people and displaced 2.7 million others since it erupted in 2003.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban called on all sides to respect international humanitarian law and the rights of individuals, warning that the hostilities would directly affect the peace process that has been launched in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

He urged the Government and one of the rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), which has taken part in the Doha talks, to step up its efforts to conclude a ceasefire in the coming days and called on other belligerent forces to enter immediately into talks with the Government on security arrangements and a final settlement.

In his latest report on the conflict issued earlier this week, Mr. Ban cited with satisfaction prospects for progress made in the Doha talks and the decrease in inter-communal fighting, but voiced deep concern at the upsurge in fighting between the Government and the Sudan Liberation Army/Minni Minnawi movement (SLA-MM) and JEM.

In this week’s fighting with the Government, the SLA-MM was joined by two other groups, the Sudan Liberation Army – Abdul Wahid (SLA-AW) and the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM).

“The Secretary-General calls on the Government to ensure its security elements fully cooperate with UNAMID and humanitarian workers in the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the protection of civilians,” today’s statement said.

UN-AU Joint Special Representative Ibrahim Gambari told the Security Council on Wednesday that UNAMID forces have maintained a robust presence and increased patrolling in the villages affected by the recent fighting “so as to create a security environment that would allow for the early, safe return of the recently displaced people.”