Annan, who arrived in Khatoum on Wednesday and flew in to El-Feshir, the main town in North Darfur Thusday morning, held talks with Interior Minister Abdel Rahim Mohammed Hussein and North Darfur state Governor Mohammed Osman Kibir after reached the region.

    During the talks, Annan urged the Sudanese government to be containing the Janjawid and "not fighting side by side with them.""The UN is prepared to work with you on the humanitarian front to ensure that we do not have a humanitarian disaster," Annan told the Sudanese officials.

    Khartoum has the responsibility "to ensure law and order" and protect its citizens, he stressed.

    The United Nations has described the Darfur problem as one of the worst humanitarian situation in the world.

    The UN chief is slated to visit a refugee camp in El-Fasher, in North Darfur state, before heading on to neighboring Chad, which isgiving refuge to some 100,000 refugees from Darfur, according to a UN official.

    Following stern warnings to Khartoum from the international community, Sudan has announced steps to ease the situation in Darfur.

    Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail said that "we will do our best to bring more police and more armed forces to that area.

    We will combat any militia or Janjawid to protect civilians.

   "A revolt against the Arab-dominated Sudanese government brokeout among indigenous ethnic minorities in Darfur in February 2003.Pro-government Arab militias there blamed for a wave of killings of indigenous groups.

    More than 10,000 people have died in the region and more than a million others driven from their homes since then, it was reported.Enditem