UN envoy pushes Sudan peace forcE

May 23, 2006 -(BBC News) A senior United Nations envoy has gone to Sudan, as a report condemns the government for its treatment of civilians in the western Darfur region.

UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is to try to persuade the government to accept UN peacekeepers in Darfur.

A report by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan accuses the Sudanese government of depriving Darfur residents of fuel and food, breaking humanitarian law.

More than 2m people have fled their homes during the three-year conflict.

The report, to be presented to the Security Council in the next few days, says civilians have been exposed to unacceptable levels of violence by all parties to the conflict, even during the final negotiations for the peace deal signed earlier this month.

Ceasefire in trouble

Mr Brahimi, a veteran Algerian diplomat, is seen as Mr Annan's top trouble-shooter.

The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Khartoum says Mr Brahimi will try to ease the pain of a humiliating climbdown for the Sudanese government, which has strongly opposed the idea of UN troops going to Darfur.

Ministers no longer reject outright a UN mission but insist that discussions and dialogue must take place.

The UN wants to take control of the peacekeeping mission from the 7,000 poorly equipped and under-funded African Union (AU) troops.

Sudan's position has softened since a peace deal was signed earlier this month with the largest rebel faction in Darfur.

But Minni Minnawi's Sudan Liberation Army has accused the government of breaking the deal by attacking a village in North Darfur, alongside pro-government Arab militias.

The Sudanese authorities have denied breaking the ceasefire.

Janjaweed killed

The African Union, which brokered the peace deal, also says there has been a spate of deadly attacks in the past week.

"The problem seems to be that everyone wants to maximise their territory before the truce and disarmament actually come into effect," AU spokesman Moussa Hamani told the AP news agency.

He was, however, referring to different clashes, which he said took place in South Darfur.

Sudan's government, meanwhile, says that seven members of the pro-government Janjaweed militias and three soldiers were killed in a disarmament exercise.

The agreement, struck after lengthy negotiations, calls for the disbandment of rebel forces and the disarmament of the Janjaweed.

Two smaller rebel groups have been given until the end of the month to sign the peace deal or face possible UN sanctions.

But our correspondent says the latest attacks will strengthen their position.

The rebels took up arms in February 2003, accusing the government of discriminating against Darfur's black Africans in favour of Arabs.

The United States says the army and the Janjaweed then unleashed a "genocide" in Darfur, driving people from their homes and still attacking them in refugee camps.

Aid agencies say Darfur is one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. A lack of money and insecurity mean aid workers cannot reach parts of the region.

Sudan denies arming the Arab militias and says the problems have been exaggerated.

From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5007472.stm