Positive Progress in Humanitarian Situation Achieved, Says UN Representative

News Article by Sudan Vision

29 June 2004

The Representative of the Security-General of the United Nations to Sudan has said that there is positive progress in the humanitarian situation in Darfur.

In a report he issued Sunday on the situation in Darfur, the UN official said that the past six weeks witnessed removal of all the procedures impeding access to the affected people in Darfur and improvement in the humanitarian situation in Darfur. He said that a remarkable progress has been reached with regard to issuance of visas, travel permits, registration of the new international voluntary organization, clearance of equipment at customs offices and other issues pertinent to the delivery of humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister, Dr. Mustafa Osman Ismail, has welcomed the report of the UN Secretary- General's Representative. He said that this report and another one of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) on the same issue were encouraging to Sudan's government to go ahead implementing its commitments for normalization of the situation in Darfur. Dr. Ismail said that the OIC's report has affirmed the government's credibility in refuting the claims on genocide or ethnic cleansing in Darfur, adding that the OIC report also asserted the fact that rebels were the first to stage fighting in Darfur State, describing the report as fair.