KHARTOUM, Sudan, July 1 (UPI) -- Amid heightening international scrutiny, the government of Sudan has vowed to clamp down on Arabic militias in the Darfur region, reports said Thursday.
During visits by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail assured Powell Sudan was working to achieve security in Darfur and would speed up negotiations with the rebels.
The two sides signed a humanitarian cease-fire on April 8, but both sides have since accused each other of violations.
A statement released by the State Department in Washington quotes Powell as warning the Sudanese government it must take action "within days or weeks" or face U.N. Security Council action.
Powell said Sudanese officials agreed with him the Janjaweed Arab militia "must be controlled, they must be broken, they must be kept from perpetrating acts of violence against the civilian population."
The Janjaweed militias are accused of terrifying black African villagers and driving about 1 million people from their homes, most into neighboring Chad.
