US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says there has been progress in Darfur but the world will not accept mere promises from Sudan’s new government to halt the violence.

CHEERING crowds and a brass band greeted UN chief Kofi Annan yesterday on his first visit to south Sudan, but he was also met with a stark message on the desperate need for aid in the war-battered region.

Sudanese government and rebel officials overcame a significant hurdle toward reaching a comprehensive peace agreement today by signing a protocol on how to share the nation’s wealth, one of the major issues in the 20 year civil war.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell said today that the Sudanese government and rebels fighting a 20-year civil have committed themselves to reaching a comprehensive peace deal by the end of December.