2006年VOA标准英语-Human Rights Group Says Sudan-Chad Raids T

By Margaret Besheer
Washington
05 February 2006

Demonstrators protest in front of the White House about conditions in Sudan, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2006, in Washington   
  
A leading human rights group says militias¹ in Sudan's troubled Darfur region are launching raids on villages in Chad, threatening thousands of civilians², amid accusations³ of cross-border attacks from both sides. Human Rights Watch is pushing for swift action by the United Nations to authorize⁴ an expanded international force in Darfur and along the Chadian border.

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The New York-based human rights organization says it has documented numerous cases of attacks since early December in eastern Chad in which civilians have been killed, villages burned and cattle stolen. The group says the raids had apparent Sudanese government backing, and were perpetrated by Sudanese and Chadian militiamen, based in Sudan's Darfur region.

The African Union's special envoy⁵ to Sudan, Baba Ghana Kingibe, said last week there is no evidence to support accusations by Chadian President Idris Deby that Sudan is arming and harboring Chadian rebels.

Both Sudan and Chad accuse each other of supporting rebel movements against the other.

The United States, which has taken over the rotating presidency⁶ of the United Nations Security Council for the month of February, says the Darfur situation is a priority. The top U.S. diplomat⁷ for Africa, Jendayi Frazer, acknowledged the recent escalation⁸ along the border.

"I think what we are seeing, particularly since the end of December and January, is there is obviously a lot more conflict taking place on the border between Chad and Sudan," said Frazer. "And the relationship between these two countries have complicated the security situation in Darfur, as the Chadian government has made charges that the Sudanese are supporting rebels in their territory, and counter charges [have been made] from the Sudanese."

Human Rights Watch says the situation is worrisome, and is calling for more international action.

"The situation is escalating⁹, it has gotten much more serious in the past few weeks, and this requires much stronger international action to protect these thousands of civilians who are now threatened," added Georgette Gagnon, group's deputy director for Africa.

On Friday, the United States put in motion the first steps toward establishing a U.N. peacekeeping mission in the Darfur region. Washington won unanimous Security Council support for a statement calling on the U.N. secretariat to prepare for transferring the African Union force in Darfur, to U.N. control.

Gagnon of Human Rights Watch says that transition will take several months, and the African Union and the international community must take measures in the interim¹⁰ to protect civilians from violence.

"There are steps that the African Union force and international community can take to protect the people in Darfur, and also in Chad, from the escalating violence and attacks by these militias," said Gagnon. "Of course, the Sudanese government, as well, should be disarming¹¹ and disbanding the militias that it sponsors, who are responsible for most of these attacks."

There was no immediate¹² Sudanese government response to the Human Rights Watch report.

The human rights group says it has found that security for people in Eastern Chad and Western Darfur are closely connected, and if no preventive action is taken, it may only be a matter of time before the refugee camps in Chad are also threatened.

Three years of war in Darfur between rebel groups and government-backed Arab militias, have left tens of thousands of people dead and displaced some two million others.

1 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

2 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

3 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

4 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

5 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

6 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

7 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

8 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

9 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

10 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

11 disarming   

adj.消除敌意的，使人消气的v.裁军( disarm的现在分词 )；使息怒

参考例句：

• He flashed her a disarming smile. 他朝她笑了一下，让她消消气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We will agree to disarming troops and leaving their weapons at military positions. 我们将同意解除军队的武装并把武器留在军事阵地。 来自辞典例句

12 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。