WASHINGTON, 4 March 2004 — The United States has presented a series of measures to try to resolve the conflict in the Darfour region of western Sudan that has put one million people “at imminent risk” of their lives. US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher expressed “grave concerns” about a deepening humanitarian crisis due to a “lack of civil order, refusal of local as well as national authorities to permit unrestricted access” to humanitarian workers. Washington utlined four measures it wants to see adopted by Sudan and rebel leaders:
• To ensure the safety and “unhindered” movement of aid workers;
• To enter immediately into negotiations toward a ceasefire;
• To facilitate rapid free movement of parties’ representatives to the negotiations’ site; and
• For them to “act decisively and transparently” to disarm and bring under responsible authority all the irregular forces and militias.
