Straw begins two-day visit to crisis-hit Sudan

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has begun a two-day official visit to Sudan, to assess for himself the situation in the Darfur region – an area which the UN has described as the centre of the world's "worst humanitarian crisis".

The UN has threatened sanctions against Sudan after August 30 if it does not move to protect the tens of thousands of people who have fled before mounting attacks by Sudanese military and the government-backed Janjaweed militia.

There are 1.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Darfur and a further 200,000 Sudanese live as refugees in Chad primarily because of atrocities carried out during fighting between state forces and rebel groups.

Mr Straw will visit Khartoum for talks with government officials today before heading to the Darfur region where he will visit an IDP camp for himself.

Prior to his departure, the Foreign Secretary said: "I am keen to see for myself the situation on the ground in Darfur, and to make clear to the Sudanese government and people the extent of British, and broader international, concern.

"In preparation for the visit I have spoken among others with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, President Obasanjo of Nigeria and President Kagame of Rwanda. During and after my visit I shall be liaising closely with President Obasanjo who is holding preliminary peace talks in Abuja starting Monday. I shall provide a full read-out to Kofi Annan as a contribution to his pending report to the Security Council."

Last week, the UN reported that the Sudanese military "harassed and brutally treated" IDPs in the Darfur region, in contravention of government agreements made to the UN and US.

The world body reported that African Union (AU) monitors had confirmed that refugees living at the Kalma camp in southern Darfur region were attacked and their camp looted on August 12.

The AU reported that following the murder of an IDP at the camp, the Sudanese military intervened and aid workers were not allowed into the Kalma camp for three days – halting the distribution of relief items to thousands of people.

According to UN resolution 1556, adopted on July 30: "… the government of Sudan bears the primary responsibility to respect human rights while maintaining law and order and protecting its population within its territory and that all parties are obliged to respect international humanitarian law…"

Rebel groups have claimed that the government is neglecting black Africans in favour of the Arab population.

(gmcg)