Sudan to halt fighting

SUDAN yesterday said it would immediately and unconditionally cease hostilities in the remote Darfur region, and asked the United Nations and African Union to request that rebel forces do the same.

Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail, speaking after an emergency meeting of Western diplomats and UN and African Union officials, also said there was no discussion of withdrawing from towns which the army has captured from rebels.

“Yes, we will inform our forces in Darfur to stop any fighting,” he said.

The African Union had given Sudan a 24-hour deadline, which expired on Saturday evening, to stop hostilities or be reported to the UN Security Council, but the fighting had continued yesterday morning.