Sudan Lifts Ban on Relief Flights

20/10/2002| IslamWeb

Sudan's government lifted a ban on relief flights to the southern Equatoria region Sunday after it signed a cease-fire with southern rebels, an official told The Associated Press. "We believe that the reasons behind the ban are no longer valid. The signing of the memorandum of cessation of hostilities has paved the way and we have not noticed any violations now in Equatoria region," the commissioner for humanitarian relief, Sulaful Deen Mohamed Salih, said.

A spokeswoman for the U.N. World Food Program in Kenya, Laura Melo, said the United Nations had only been notified that it could resume flights to the government-held town of Juba in Equatoria.

She said talks between the government, rebels and the United Nations to resume humanitarian flights to the rest of southern Sudan were scheduled for Wednesday in Kenya.

"We sincerely hope that the agreement to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian aid will be implemented as soon as possible," Melo said.

Sudan banned flights to the area after the Sudan People's Liberation Army overran the town of Torit on Aug. 31.

From Torit, the rebels were in position to attack Juba, the southern headquarters for government forces in the south. U.N.

and other aid agencies pulled out of Juba shortly after Torit fell, citing security concerns. The government said the withdrawal undermined the aid agencies' credibility and responded by banning relief flights.

The government pulled out of peace talks when it lost Torit. It recaptured Torit earlier this month, after which the rebels agreed to a government demand that a cease-fire be signed before talks on a permanent peace deal were renewed. The cease-fire was signed Oct. 15.

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