Darfur conditions deteriorate further

KHARTOUM, Sudan, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- A report from the United Nations calls on the Sudanese government to halt its increased military response to the ongoing rebel violence in Darfur.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrote in a report on the situation in Darfur that an escalation in rebel violence and the military response from the Sudanese government have created a volatile situation in the region. Ban called for an end to the hostilities and for rebel and government leaders to implement the comprehensive peace accord reached in 2006, the United Nations reported.

Ban also said it has become increasingly difficult to secure aid being sent to refugees and internally displaced persons. Additionally, humanitarian aid workers are being targeted by rebels and are in danger of airstrikes from the Sudanese military.

"I call on the (Sudanese) government to comply with its obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law, in particular with regard to the protection of civilians," Ban wrote in the report.

The U.N. peacekeeping mission, "despite its broad mandate for the protection of civilians and assistance to peace implementation, is not designed to create a sustainable solution to the Darfur crisis. That is the responsibility of the parties to the conflict."