ADDIS ABABA, July 7 (Xinhuanet) -- The African Union (AU) on Wednesday called on the Sudanese parties to fully attend the political dialogues on the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region, scheduled for July 15 in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia.

    The AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) "urges the Sudanese parties to participate fully in the meeting scheduled on July 15, 2004, at the AU headquarters, to discuss political issues with the view of reaching a comprehensive agreement," the PSC said in a communique released here Wednesday, following a PSC meeting on African conflicts Sunday.

    The PSC, the AU's security body similar to the UN Security Council, reiterates its serious concern over the prevailing situation in Darfur, particularly the humanitarian crisis and the continued reports of violations of human rights, including attacks against civilians committed by the Janjaweed militia.

    It stresses the need to address the crisis with urgency to avoid further escalation and bring to justice all those responsible for human rights violations in Darfur.

    The conflict in Darfur, where some 10,000 people have been killed and another million displaced, has caused great concern around the world.

    United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, while addressing the opening of the third AU summit in Addis Ababa Tuesday, pressedfor a quick peaceful end to the "horrific situation" in the Sudanese region, warning that without action, there could be an even greater catastrophe.

    "I am thinking, in particular, of the horrific situation in Darfur in western Sudan. I have just visited Darfur and the refugee camps in Chad," he said. "The ruined villages, the camps overflowing with sick and hungry women and children, and the fear in the eyes of the people should be a clear warning to us all: without action, the brutalities already inflicted on the civilian population of Darfur could be a prelude to even greater humanitarian catastrophe -- a catastrophe that could destabilize the region."

    Before coming to Addis Ababa for the AU summit, he traveled to Sudan and Chad, a major mediator in the Darfur crisis, to seeks ways of resolving what was described by the UN as the "worst humanitarian crisis in the world."

    He urged the Sudanese government and rebel groups to work together to end the crisis in Darfur peacefully.

    "I remind the government of its sacred duty to protect its citizens, and the rebel groups of their responsibility and duty to respect the cease-fire and work with the government to end the conflict peacefully," he said.

    The joint communique signed in Khartoum between the United Nations and the Sudanese government, he said, is a welcome development, as are the steps the government has already taken to remove obstacles to humanitarian work.

    However, the terms of the communique must be implemented, the agreed moratorium on restrictions for all humanitarian work must be observed, the climate of impunity that has prevailed for far too long must end now, and the high-level Joint Implementation Mechanism must begin to function as soon as possible, Annan insisted.

    Annan commented the AU's efforts to monitor the cease-fire signed in April and assist in the protection of civilians, and pledged UN support for the AU's endeavor to address the root causes of the conflict to achieve a political settlement through the process which will start in Addis Ababa on July 15.

    "I stand ready to use my good offices to assist that process. Icall on all parties to bear in mind the lessons of the Sudan's history and resolve this crisis swiftly through dialogue," he said.

    The African regional bloc has sent 23 observers to Darfur to see to the implementation of the cease-fire.

    AU Commission Chairperson Alpha Oumar Konare also took a visit to Chad's N'djamena last week, where he sat down with Sudanese parties involved in the Darfur crisis, trying to find a solution to the conflict.

    In the latest development, the AU is considering sending a "protection force" of 300 to the region.

    The PSC held an unusually long session on Sunday, deliberating the Darfur crisis and Konare's visit to N'djamena and decided to send armed soldiers in the name of "protection force" to the troubled region "as soon as possible" to guard the AU observers, though the number of soldiers are still under consideration, said Director of the AU Peace and Security Council Sam Ibok on the sidelines of the AU summit.

    According to various reports and accounts of human rights and humanitarian groups, Darfur's pro-government Arab militia have adopted a scorched land policy and carried out a campaign described as "bordering ethnic cleansing."

    The well-armed, horse or camel riding militia called the Janjaweed have killed at least 10,000 indigenous people and chased another million out of their homes since the revolt by black Africans against the Khartoum government broke out in February 2003.

    Terrified by the Janjaweed, Darfur refugees went all the way to avoid been killed or raped "systematically," as the human rights groups called it.

    Their destinations include deserts inside the neighboring Chad,described by one report as "one of the most inhospitable areas on earth."

    Nearly 200,000 Sudanese refugees now live in camps in Chad, and those who live in camps inside the Darfur region were afraid to venture out for fear of the Janjaweed.

    Even those inside Chad were threatened by the militia, which was accused of crossing the border and mounting attacks. Enditem