UN urges ceasefire as Sudan-reble peace talks begins

Khartoum: UN on Thursday urged Sudan and rebels, meeting for their first peace talks in almost a year, to reach an immediate ceasefire so aid can reach more than one million civilians.

There are no figures for how many people have died in the Kordofan region and Blue Nile, where rebels have been fighting for nearly three years, but the UN says an estimated 1.2 million have been displaced or otherwise affected.

Sudanese authorities have restricted access to the war zones for aid workers, journalists and foreign diplomats, although relief has reached people in government-controlled areas.

There has been no aid access into SPLM-N areas from within Sudan since 2011. “Once agreement for a viable cessation of hostilities has been reached, the United Nations in Sudan stands ready to provide such assistance without delay,” Za’tari said.

“And once peace is established full development efforts should be started immediately,” he added.