SUDAN: Security Council Studies Assessment Report Ahead Of Meeting On Darfur
The Security Council's 15 members have received a United Nations report assessing the latest developments in the
war-torn Darfur region of Sudan, a day before the senior UN envoy to the country briefs them on what progress Khartoum
has made on its pledges to restore security there and disarm the militias accused of brutal attacks.
UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters today at UN Headquarters that the report, which examines implementation of
the Council's latest resolution on Sudan, has been circulated to the members - but not officially made public - ahead of
tomorrow's open meeting on Darfur.
At Thursday's meeting Jan Pronk, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Sudan, will brief the Council on the
situation in Darfur following his visit last week to the troubled region.
More than 1.2 million people are internally displaced within Darfur and another 200,000 Sudanese live as refugees in
Chad because of attacks by the Janjaweed militias and fighting between the Government and two rebel groups.
On 30 July the Council adopted Resolution 1556, which stated it may take action against Khartoum under Article 41 of the
UN Charter if the authorities do not show after 30 days that they are fulfilling earlier promises to the UN to disarm
the Janjaweed and restore security.
Article 41 measures include unspecified economic penalties and the severing of diplomatic relations. The Council's
30-day deadline expired on Monday.
In other developments on Sudan:
The World Food Programme (WFP) today appealed for $12 million to expand a special feeding programme for malnourished
refugees living in camps in eastern Chad. The agency said the effort will target children under five as well as pregnant
women and nursing mothers.
Violent clashes continue to be reported in Darfur's three states, and most internally displaced persons (IDPs) remain
reluctant to return to their home villages, Radhia Achouri, a spokesperson for Mr. Pronk, told reporters in Khartoum.
Regarding the separate civil war in the south of Africa's largest nation, the Sudanese Government and the Sudan People's
Liberation Movement (SPLM) agreed during peace talks being held in Naivasha, Kenya, to extend their current ceasefire
until 30 November.