International Criminal Court Briefed On Darfur

UN Sudan Envoy Pronk To Brief International Criminal Court On Darfur

New York, Jul 18 2005

The top United Nations envoy for Sudan is headed to The Hague, to meet with the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating 51 people suspected of committing war crimes in the war-torn Darfur region.

Jan Pronk, head of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), is expected to meet with lead ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, to discuss the situation on the ground in Sudan's troubled in Darfur, where a two-year conflict between the Khartoum Government, allied militia and rebels in the region has killed at least 180,000 people and displaced nearly 2 million others.

Just last week, Mr. Pronk voiced hope the military leaders of Darfur's main rebel factions would accept a preliminary agreement between the Government and rebels aimed at ending the conflict. He also travelled to Asmara, Eritrea, and returned to Khartoum convinced that the Eastern Front is prepared to start serious negotiations with the Government with the aim of finding a lasting solution to the problems of Eastern Sudan.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the new government of Sudan this month that the peace process between North and South must be made irreversible – which it will not be, unless it takes root in the East and in the West as well.

Following his visit to The Hague, Mr. Pronk will then come to New York to brief the Security Council on Darfur and the state of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement's implementation between the Sudanese Government and Southern rebels.

ENDS

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