European parliament stresses continued fighting in western Sudan

Mmember of the European parliament Richard Hueoit said that there is no evidence on halting the military operations in Darfour area to the west of Sudan despite the confirmation by the government on halting them.

He added that "al-Junjweid" continue acts of riots in most of the rural area, in remarks to the militias of the Arab nomad Bedouins which the rebels say the government provides them with arms.

These statements came after a visit made by the EU parliamentarian to several cities in Darfour in the remote west Sudan, where two main groups for the rebels carried the weapons to fight the government one year before. The visit comes with a delegation representing members of the European parliament, invited by the government to tour main cities in Darfour and southern Sudan.

The European parliamentarian added that the humanitarian situation in Darfour represents a "terrific and deep catastrophe." He accused the government of preventing journalists from going to the area in order to hide the conflict from the world. He said that the relief agencies reach only 15% of the needy because of the expansion of the scale of the conflict, and the restrictions imposed by the government. He said that the fight resulted in displacing some one million with most of them fled to neighboring Chad.