2006年VOA标准英语-Annan Calls Emergency Meeting On Darfur

By Peter Heinlein
United Nations
04 May 2006

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is pleading with influential¹ countries to pressure Darfur's warring parties to bring their peace talks to a successful conclusion. The world body's top humanitarian² official is heading to Darfur to highlight the need for more relief assistance.

------------------------------------------------------

Kofi Annan  
  

Secretary General Annan Thursday called an emergency meeting of a 17-nation group known as "Friends of Darfur". Among those attending were the ambassadors representing the United States, China, Russia, the European Union and the African Union.

Afterward³, Mr. Annan told VOA he had urged the group to intensify⁴ diplomatic pressure for a successful outcome of the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria.

"We discussed the Darfur situation, the critical situation of the talks, and the need for all of us, particularly those with influence, to press the parties to seize the moment and make an agreement, a real agreement, that will stand the test of time," said Kofi Annan.

Mr. Annan said the Friends of Darfur group also discussed boosting humanitarian assistance once a peace deal is reached, and increasing support for an African Union force known as AMIS that will be charged with keeping the peace.

"We need to strengthen the African Union force, because they will have to take steps to initially⁵ begin implementing⁶ the agreement once it is signed, and as the follow-on U.N. force is going to take time, it is extremely important that we take measures to strengthen the African force, which will mean additional troops, additional logistical support, additional financial support," he said.

Jan Egeland (file photo)  
  
Top U.N. relief official Jan Egeland also attended Thursday's meeting, a day before he leaves on a visit to Darfur. The visit was aborted⁷ last month after Sudanese officials refused to allow his plane to land.

Egeland told diplomats⁸ overall funding for Darfur relief operations is only one-fifth of what had been pledged, and said another $200 million will be needed immediately to aid the more than three million people displaced by Darfur's three-year civil war.

Washington's U.N. Ambassador John Bolton said the United States expects to respond positively⁹ to the request for more funds. 

John Bolton    
  
"We're the largest humanitarian donor¹⁰ to the humanitarian tragedy in Darfur," said John Bolton. "Over $1.3 billion worth of assistance since 2004 and we have another supplemental request of $120 million to support the [AU peacekeeping force] in process now. We've contributed over 80 percent of the food distributed in the Darfur region."

With talks at a critical stage in Abuja, President Bush this week called Sudan's president to urge him to accept a peace deal with Darfur's rebels. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick is among top diplomats staying in Abuja to help in settling the dispute.

Civil war, involving Sudanese government forces, government-backed Janjaweed militias¹¹ and rebels broke out in Darfur more than three years ago. The conflict has claimed an estimated 180,000 lives, many of them victims of starvation and disease.
 
 

1 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

2 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

3 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

4 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

5 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

6 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

7 aborted   

adj.流产的，失败的v.（使）流产( abort的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）（某事物）中止；（因故障等而）（使）（飞机、宇宙飞船、导弹等）中断飞行；（使）（飞行任务等）中途失败

参考例句：

• The rocket flight had to be aborted because of difficulties with computer. 因电脑出故障，这次火箭飞行只好中辍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They aborted the space flight finally. 他们最后中止了这次宇航飞行。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

10 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

11 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