Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Sudan Announces Darfur Ceasefire

Wednesday, November 12, 2008
15:57 Mecca time, 12:57 GMT

Sudan announces Darfur ceasefire

Millions of people have been displaced by the Darfur conflict

Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese president, has announced a unilateral ceasefire by government forces in the Darfur region of western Sudan.

"I hereby announce our immediate, unconditional ceasefire between the armed forces and the warring factions, provided that an effective monitoring mechanism is put into action and observed by all involved parties," al-Bashir said on Wednesday.

However, Darfur's multiple rebel movements have dismissed the government move, labelling it as "insincere".

Past ceasefires announced by Khartoum have collapsed.

The Sudan People's Forum, a platform of government and opposition figures, recommended the ceasefire.

Al-Bashir also said that the government "will set up an immediate campaign to disarm the militias and restrict the use of weapons among armed forces".

The forum also recommended the release of political prisoners in Darfur, but al-Bashir did not pledge to carry this out.

The attempted peace move in Darfur is a new push by the government to end a conflict that, according to international experts, has killed at least 200,000 people, and displaced more than 2.5 million since 2003.

Source: Agencies


President Describes Ocampo's Allegations like Insect on an Ear of an Elephant

President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir describes ICC prosecutor general Luis Ocmapo allegations against him as like small insect on an ear of an elephant. He said Sudanese people would never accept oppression from anywhere.

The president however urges the hostile countries that they should read Sudan's history to learn of whether Sudanese people are coward or not. The president gave this statement at public rally organized at Nihood town in northern Kordofan during inauguration of 105 new asphalted road built as part of al Ingaz Al Gharbi high way extended up to Darfur.

The president reminded that the more they press us we go make more development projects. He said the western countries and the United States are sanctioning us since 20 years ago and we are surviving doing good businesses.

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