High-level UN meeting on Sudan's Darfur crisis kicks-off in Geneva

Thursday June 3rd, 2004.

GENEVA, June 3 (AFP) -- Senior officials from donor countries, the Sudanese government, rebel groups and UN aid agencies met in Geneva on Thursday to talk money and action for western Sudan's war-torn Darfur region.

At least 10,000 people have been killed in Darfur since rebels rose up in February 2003, prompting an assault by government forces and their militia allies in what the UN has called the world's worst ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Participants at the high-level meeting were expected to discuss increasing an appeal launched earlier in the year for 140 million dollars for relief efforts in Darfur and a further 30 million dollars for neighbouring Chad, where some 100,000 people have fled, a spokeswoman said.

"This figure will be devloped, said Elisabeth Byrs, a spokeswoman for the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

"Pledges are expected from donor countries," she told AFP.

Representatives from 27 countries that comprise a high-level UN working group are due to take part in a morning discussion along with senior officials from Sudan, Chad and other African countries as well as UN aid agencies.

In the afternoon, a second meeting also involving non-governmental organisations is due to consider operational issues and donor coordination.

The UN's emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland, head of the World Food Programme James Morris, Ireland's development minister Tom Kitt for the European Union and Andrew Natsios, an administrator for USAID were scheduled to give a news conference at the UN's European headquarters at 2:00 pm (1200 GMT).

About one million people are thought to have fled the impoverished Darfur region after attacks by Sudanese troops and Arab militias on black African civilians over the past 15 months.

On Tuesday, one of two rebel groups -- the Justice and Equality Movement
-- said 24 people had been killed in a two-day assault by government forces in the west Darfur village of Adjidji.

A UN human rights report released last month accused the Sudanese government of committing massive human rights violations in Darfur that may amount to crimes against humanity.

Last week, Khartoum and rebels from southern Sudan signed deals paving the way for an end to 21 years of civil war in that part of the vast country, the largest in Africa.

The international community has tempered its praise for the signings with fresh warnings about a humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur.