The Sudanese government decided on Sunday to continue a diplomatic campaign against UN Security Council Resolution 1706 that calls for the deployment of international peacekeeping forces in the western Sudanese region of Darfur.

The Sudanese government made the decision in a cabinet meeting chaired by First Vice President Mayardit Salva Kiir, according to a press statement issued by the government.

"The Council of Ministers decided that diplomatic contacts will be continuously held with other countries to expound Sudan's vision and its justifications to refuse Resolution 1706," the statement said.

The cabinet called for speeding up the peace process in Darfur by implementing the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), improving conditions on the ground, reactivating reconciliation between tribes, providing humanitarian aid, and realizing security and tranquility for citizens in the region, according to the statement.

It also announced the establishment of a committee for implementation of the DPA, which is headed by President Omar el-Bashir and includes as members his deputies and assistants.

The cabinet decided to hold more contacts with rebel groups that have not signed the DPA to convince them to join the peace process.

Delivering a report on the progress of implementing the DPA, Presidential Advisor Majzoub al-Khalifa said that committees had been set up to carry out DPA items on the sharing of power and wealth, security arrangements and Darfurian-Darfurian dialogue under the supervision of the African Union (AU).

He said that a plan had been worked out for disarming militias and delivering arms to the commander of the AU forces.

Presenting a report on the humanitarian work in Darfur, State Minister at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs Ahmed Mohamed Haroun said that humanitarian aid had been conveyed to all the 695,000 displaced people at refugee camps, in addition to 665,000 war-affected villagers in Darfur.

The minister said that humanitarian aid for displaced and affected people in Darfur was secured until the end of this year.

(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2006)