U.S. 'deeply' worried about Darfur

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Washington is "deeply" concerned about the situation in Darfur despite some modest progress on the ground, the U.S. State Department declared.

"Civilians continue to live in insecurity, as a result of the ongoing fighting between government forces and the armed movements, continued aerial bombardments in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, as well as lawlessness and general banditry," the State Department said in a statement.

One peacekeeper was killed and two others were injured last week when a unit with the U.N.-African Union mission was attacked in Darfur. The attacks bring the number of U.N. peacekeepers killed in Darfur to 34 since the mission went into service four years ago.

The State Department noted there were some modest signs of progress in the region, but some fundamental issues remain unresolved.

"The United States remains deeply concerned about the situation in Darfur," the statement added.

The government in South Sudan said recently it was worried its neighbors to the north weren't interested in peace as border skirmishes further strain an already tense situation in the region.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is accused by the International Criminal Court of war crimes for the genocide in Darfur in 2003. Khartoum isn't party to the Rome Statute that created the international court, however.

The attack on the U.N. mission in Darfur follows the July signing of a peace agreement between the Sudanese government and members of the rebel Liberation and Justice Movement.