EU mission to Sudan to discuss humanitarian crisis in Darfur

Javier Solana, the European Union's security affairs chief, headed for Sudan Friday for talks with the government about the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

Solana is scheduled to make a quick visit to the western Sudanese region where the EU supports an African peacekeeping mission. He is scheduled to return Sunday after a stopover in Chad for talks with President Idriss Deby who has accused Sudanese militias involved in the Darfur conflict of making raids into his country. Before leaving, Solana said he will also discuss the implementation of a Jan. 9 peace deal that ended a North-South civil war after more than two decades in Sudan.

In the separate Darfur conflict rebels from black African tribes took up arms in early 2003, complaining of discrimination and oppression. They accuse the government of unleashing Arab tribal militia known as the Janjaweed against civilians in a campaign of murder, rape and arson that has already claimed the lives of 180,000 people, many from hunger and disease, and displaced 2 million others, reports the AP. I.L.