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Intensified Violence in Darfur Gravely Concerns United States

United States Department of State (Washington, DC)
DOCUMENT
December 20, 2004
Posted to the web December 21, 2004
Washington, DC
The United States is "gravely concerned by the intensified violence" that has
been recently taking place in the Darfur region of western Sudan and calls on
both the Jingaweit militias and rebel groups to respect the cease-fire
agreement and the terms of the humanitarian and security protocols that have
been signed in Abuja, Nigeria.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher made that point in a December 20
statement that was released to the press.
Following is the text of Boucher's statement:
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
December 20, 2004
STATEMENT BY RICHARD BOUCHER, SPOKESMAN
UNITED STATES CONDEMNS ONGOING VIOLENCE IN DARFUR
The United States is gravely concerned by the intensified violence that has
been taking place in Darfur in recent days. The operations carried out by the
Government and related activity by the Jingaweit militias have caused untold
suffering, displacing tens of thousands of people.
At the same time, we want to emphasize that the Darfur rebel groups - the Sudan
Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement - must also respect
the cease-fire agreement and the terms of the humanitarian and security
protocols that have been signed in Abuja.
Fighting between the Government of Sudan, Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, and
Justice and Equality Movement has affected United Nations and other
humanitarian relief agencies' operations in South Darfur. We urge both sides in
the strongest terms to cooperate fully with international humanitarian efforts.
The United States and the international community, including the United
Nations, speak with one voice on the crisis in Darfur. We want particularly to
underscore the staunch support of the United States for the efforts of the
African Union on Darfur.
We strongly support the statement issued by the Chairperson of the Commission
of the African Union, Alpha Oumar Konare, condemning the large-scale violations
of the cease-fire committed by all the parties. We will continue to support the
accelerated deployment of the African Union mission and the exercise of its
expanded mandate. We also welcome and support the African Union's continued
leadership in brokering negotiations between the Government of Sudan and the
Darfur rebel groups, and see this as vital to ending the conflict.

   

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