AFRICA/SUDAN - All that was feared has happened: when domestic tension override international interests. Another of Africa’s cease fire agreements violated

Khartoum (Fides Service)- “Only a firm intervention by the international community can stop the war in Darfur” Bishop Macram Max Gassis, of El Obeid (Sudan), told Fides commenting the violation of the cease fire in Darfur.
Yesterday, November 24, one of the two rebel groups in Darfur, The Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA), announced that it was breaking the cease fire agreement and starting an all out war because the government of Khartoum had failed to respect the agreements signed cessation of hostilities, signed last year, and protocol of security signed in Abuja (Nigeria) last month.
“As I have said already, the crisis in Sudan is very complicated and difficult to resolve” dice Bishop Gassis told Fides. “This is why I hesitate to approve declarations with regard to a rapid solution to the war in southern Sudan. How can people think this war can be stopped when there is still a serious crisis in Darfur?” the Bishop wondered.
The international community expects the government and SPLA to sign a lasting peace agreement before the end of the year (see Fides 24 November 2004).
The United Nations has harshly criticised the violation of the cease fire in Darfur. Jan Pronk UN Secretary General special envoy to Sudan called on both side to put an end to hostilities in the region stricken by a serious humanitarian crisis.
Pronk also condemned ''the killing of civilians and members of the police force in a camp near Kalma”. Last Sunday there was fighting in the northern town of Kalma Darfur between rebels and the Arab Janjawid militia suspected to be the armed wing of the Sudanese government. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 25/11/2004 righe 27 parole 320)