JRS calls on Sudan to disarm Arab militias, allow aid into Darfur

Published: 2004-08-03

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Jesuit Refugee Service urged Sudan to comply with a U.N. resolution to disarm Arab militias blamed for thousands of deaths in the country's western Darfur region. JRS also called on the Sudanese government to allow humanitarian aid workers into Darfur to assist the 1.2 million people displaced by the violence and to not force displaced persons back to their homes and villages until security is guaranteed. If the government fails in its obligations, "the international community must be prepared to act directly to ensure the protection of the civilian population and to safeguard the humanitarian assistance pipeline," JRS said in an Aug. 2 statement. JRS said the United Nations should be ready to send in an "international protection force" to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid and to monitor the human rights situation. The statement also called on aid agencies to mobilize quickly in responding to the crisis.

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