Agreement over Abyei could end violence

KHARTOUM, Sudan, June 6 (UPI) -- The escalating violence and the Sudanese government's non-cooperation with the International Criminal Court were the topics of a U.N. meeting in the country.

The U.N. Security Council sent a delegation to meet with Sudanese President Omar al Bashir to address the comprehensive peace agreement between the north and the south of the country, along with Sudan's lack of cooperation with the ICC, during a meeting Thursday in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, the United Nations reported.

Officials say an agreement was reached during the meeting between the Sudanese government and the former southern rebels that would resolve the violent dispute over the oil-rich area around Abyei, Sudan. If approved by the Parliament of South Sudan, the agreement could go into effect Tuesday.

Despite the agreement, al Bashir continues to reject cooperating with the International Criminal Court.

"Citizens from the Sudan are being deliberately attacked by Sudanese officials," Luis Moreno Ocampo, ICC prosecutor, said in a statement.

"The entire Darfur region is a crime scene. Despite promises and denials, over the last five years millions of civilians have been targeted by officials who vowed to protect them. Impunity reigns."