The Sudanese government and two rebel groups from the war torn region of Darfur signed Tuesday two accords to demilitarise their conflict and ensure the safety of 1.5 million displaced people. At a ceremony in Abuja overseen by the African Union's current chairman, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, the two parties gave their long-delayed assent to the so-called humanitarian and security protocols.
Sudanese Agriculture Minister Majzoub al-Khalifa inked the deals on behalf of his government, while the leaders of the rebel Sudanese Liberation Movement and Justice and Equality Movement, Minni Arkou and Mohammed Tugod also signed.
The deals commit both parties to halt all hostile operations in the Darfur region of western Sudan - including military overflights - and to enhancing the protection of the area's 1.5 million displaced civilians.