Later, Egeland said that if Sudan's government could not disarm the militias, the crisis would "go on forever. The next few months will be a moment of truth for Sudan."
Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid, Sudan's humanitarian affairs minister, said the camps were safe and free of attacks. "From my knowledge there is no such phenomenon," he said.
_____Crisis in Sudan_____
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Q&A: Sudan in Crisis A brief explanation of the current humanitarian situation in Darfur.
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Powell, in Sudan, Presses for Action (The Washington Post, Jul 1, 2004)
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'We Want to Make a Light Baby' (The Washington Post, Jun 30, 2004)
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In Sudan, Death and Denial (The Washington Post, Jun 27, 2004)
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Sudanese Refugees Told to Stay Silent On Government, Militia Abuses (The Washington Post, Jun 28, 2004)
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Sudan Orders Pursuit Of Outlawed Groups (The Washington Post, Jun 20, 2004)
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Sudan Accused of Blocking Darfur Relief (The Washington Post, May 28, 2004)
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_____World Opinion_____
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Who's Responsible: Online media ask who let the situation in Sudan go unchecked until now.
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On Thursday when Annan visited Zam Zam camp, 11 miles south of El Fasher, no militiamen were in sight. Smiling and waving women riding donkeys lined the road to the camp to greet him. But on Sunday, the Janjaweed roamed the area, riding horses and camels while cradling guns.
Annan requested a private meeting with a group of women in the camp. In contrast to other discussions Annan had throughout the day, government representatives were kept away as he sat on a straw mat under a tree and quietly asked the women about their lives since the crisis began.
"We lost our houses. They were burned. Some of the Janjaweed rode horses and camels using guns, and then there were bombs," one woman said.
Another woman said her sister was riding a donkey when her village was bombed.
"Her body was divided in half," she said. "Now I must care for her 11 children."
A midwife said she knew of 20 rape victims at the camp.
Annan told the women: "Most of you want to go home as soon as possible. What does the government have to do to make that happen?"
Several women replied, "Security."
"I agree with you. . . . Nobody is going to force you to go home without security," Annan said, touching his heart. "As long as you are in this camp we are going to do everything we can to protect you."
The women clapped and called out in Arabic, "God willing."
