KHARTOUM, Aug. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- African-American leader Jesse Jackson visited the conflict-torn region of Darfur on Friday and urged the United States to focus on ending the Darfur crisis in Sudan.

    "So much energy has been absorbed in Iraq and the Afghanistan crisis...The United States has been stretched very thin because we have spent so much money and so much blood in Iraq and it's taken all the attention, but Africa is part of our global family," the former US presidential candidate told reporters on his tour of AbuShouk camp on the outskirts of Al Fashir, capital of the North Darfur province.

    Jackson said US money could help end the conflict in Darfur, which, according to UN figures, has caused up to 30,000 to 50,000 deaths and nearly 1.5 million people displaced.

    "We watched apartheid (in South Africa) for too long, we watched Rwanda too and we are looking at Sudan right now on television," he said. "We have to act."

    The Democratic politician also urged the Sudanese government and African rebels to end the crisis. Otherwise, he said, "there will be global sanctions and intervention."

    As the UN Aug. 30 deadline nears, the Sudanese government has only a few days left to show that it is making progress toward disarming the Janjaweed militias blamed for driving people from their homes.

    On Friday, an expert team led by UN envoy, Jan Pronk, witnessedthe hand-over of weapons by some 200 members of the People's Defense Force affiliated with the Sudanese government. The hand-over is part of a disarmament program agreed earlier this month.

    "Pronk and his verification team, comprising United Nations, Sudanese Government and other representatives, visited camps housing internally displaced persons and hospitals, including therapeutic centers for children, and met with relief workers," UNspokesman Stephane Dujarric told a press briefing in New York.

    The verification mission is designed to determine whether Khartoum is making progress on its promises to disarm the Janjaweed militia and improve security for Darfur's massive population of internally displaced persons.

    The spokesman said Pronk is likely to brief the UN Security Council on Sept. 2 on his findings.

    UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is expected to deliver a written report on Sudan's compliance by Aug. 31 and the Security Council is scheduled to meet on Sept. 2. The 15-member council has threatened Sudan with possible measures under Article 41 of the UN Charter, including economic penalties, if it does not show progress.

    Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said on Friday that the humanitarian situation in Darfur has improved, adding the UN Security Council would extend its one-month deadline to Khartoum.

    Government delegates and Darfur rebels are due to continue their talks Saturday afternoon in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, and discuss security issues such as the cantonment of rebel forces,and then political, economic and social arrangements in Darfur if the desired results on humanitarian aid can been achieved.

    Also on Friday, the United Nations appealed for 166 million US dollars for neighboring Chad to cope with 200,000 Sudanese refugees who have sought shelter there since last year. Enditem