Sudan Signs Agreement to Return One Million People Displaced in Darfur

Sudan on Saturday signed an agreement to ensure the voluntary return of more than one million people displaced by fighting in the Darfur region and said it was giving Darfuris more say in local government. Sudan, under threat of possible sanctions, has less than two weeks to prove to the U.N. Security Council it is taking action to improve security in remote Darfur, where a rebellion has raged since February last year. Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail said the agreement on internally displaced people (IDPs) with the United Nations should help reassure the international community. Rebels and aid workers say the Sudanese authorities have sometimes tried to force displaced people home against their will. The Sudanese government denies the allegation. [more ]