[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 24 (Monday, June 14, 2004)]
[Pages 1043-1044]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
G-8 Statement on Sudan

June 10, 2004

    We, the Leaders of the G-8, warmly welcome the May 26 signing by the 
Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) of 
protocols on Power Sharing, Abyei, and on the Two Areas (of Southern 
Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains). We urge the parties to reach a final and 
comprehensive agreement which includes a timetable and security 
arrangements as quickly as possible. We hope that this agreement and its 
faithful implementation will end one of the world's most painful 
conflicts and begin a new era of Sudanese peace and prosperity.
    We also wish to express our grave concern over the humanitarian, 
human rights, and political crisis in Darfur. We welcome the N'djamena 
ceasefire agreement of April 8, and the announcement on May 20 by the 
Government of Sudan that restrictions on humanitarian access will be 
eased. However, there are continuing reports of gross violations of 
human rights, many with an ethnic dimension. We call on all parties to 
the conflict to immediately and fully respect the ceasefire, allow 
unimpeded humanitarian access to all those in need, and create the 
conditions for the displaced to return safely to

[[Page 1044]]

their homes. We call especially on the Sudanese government to disarm 
immediately the ``Janjaweed'' and other armed groups which are 
responsible for massive human rights violations in Darfur. We call on 
the conflict parties to address the roots of the Darfur conflict and to 
seek a political solution.
    We support the African Union as it assumes the leading role in the 
monitoring mission which is now being sent to the Darfur region to 
supervise the cease-fire agreement.
    We pledge our countries' assistance in ending the conflicts in Sudan 
and in providing humanitarian aid to those in need. We call on all 
parties to the conflicts in Sudan to commit themselves to respecting the 
right of all Sudanese to live in peace and dignity.
    We look to the United Nations to lead the international effort to 
avert a major disaster and will work together to achieve this end.

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this joint statement.