Sudan declaration: The EU and the US have declared strong support for the peace efforts in Sudan amid optimism that peace talks which reopened in Nairobi yesterday will bring a permanent ceasefire in the 21-year war. Mark Brennock reports.
In a joint statement, they urge the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army "to sustain the momentum towards an early conclusion of a comprehensive peace agreement" to end the longest-running civil war in Africa, which has claimed two million lives.
They also express "grave concern at the continuing humanitarian crisis in Darfur, western Sudan, where the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians, who live in desperate conditions and require immediate life-saving relief, are at great risk".
They condemn human rights abuses by the local Jingaweit militias, which have been accused of genocidal attacks, and which are widely believed to have Sudanese government backing.
"We reiterate our call on the Government of Sudan to immediately stop the violence perpetrated by the Jingaweit, ensure the protection and security of civilians and humanitarian workers, disarm the militias and allow full and unimpeded access by humanitarian groups to Darfur," the statement says.
They also call on the Sudanese government to stop supporting "the aggressive actions by militia groups in the Upper Nile region". They praise the African Union for assuming a leading role by sending a monitoring mission.