UN Darfur warning follows Doha pact

19/02/2009| IslamWeb

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, has called for further talks on Darfur after warning both sides involved in the conflict must renounce violence before a peace deal can be reached.

 

Ban described a "goodwill" agreement signed this week by the Sudanese government and rebel group the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem) in Qatar, as "a constructive step".

 

However, he urged both parties to agree to a ceasefire and attend further "comprehensive and inclusive talks".

 

"Until the parties renounce hostilities, the situation in Darfur cannot improve," Ban said on Tuesday.

 

Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani, the Qatari prime minister, announced on Monday that Jem and the Khartoum government had agreed to a series of confidence-building measures following a week of peace talks in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

 

The accord followed a long meeting between the heads of the two delegations, Khalil Ibrahim, the Jem chief, and Nafie Ali Nafie, an aide to Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese president.

 

But other rebel factions are refusing to talk to Khartoum and Al Jazeera has learned there are serious disagreements between anti-government groups about the Doha accord.

 

 

PHOTO CAPTION

 

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general.

 

Al-Jazeera