Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Khartoum (Agenzia Fides)- An aide to Sudanese President Omar Hassan Bashir has hinted that Sudan may accept the extension of the UN peace mission in during a meeting for African foreign ministers today 18 September in New York.
This week the leaders of the world gather for the general assembly of the United Nations which will discuss among other things the crisis in the western Sudan region of Darfur: the UN Security Council passed a resolution to send a peace force to the region but so far Khartoum has said it rejects the resolution.
The 7,000 African Union peacekeepers deployed for some time in Darfur have failed to stop massacres of civilians. This led the UN to decide to send 20,000 UN peace keepers to take the place of the AU troops whose mandate expires on 30 September.
Yesterday 17 September in various cities in different countries thousands of people took part in demonstrations calling for an end to violence in Darfur.
According to estimates accepted by the international community since the popular uprising in Darfur started in February 2003 at least 200,000 people have been killed, 2 million have been forced to flee their homes and now live in extremely precarious conditions in refugee camps in the region and in neighbouring Chad. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 18/9/2006 righe 22 parole 245)
