2007年VOA标准英语-UN Secretary-General Urges Cease-Fire in Darfur

By Lisa Schlein
Khartoum
04 September 2007

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he has urged Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to implement¹ an immediate² cease-fire in Darfur.  The Secretary-General made his appeal during a dinner late Monday with President Bashir at his official guesthouse in Khartoum.  Lisa Schlein says Ban told journalists details of his discussions with the Sudanese President before departing for Juba from where Lisa Schlein reports for VOA.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, right, greets Sudan's Ambassador to the UN Abdelmahmoud Abdelhalim Mohamed at Khartoum, Sudan, 3 Sept. 2007

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls his discussions with Sudanese President, Omar Al-Bashir very good and fruitful.  He says they touched on a wide range of issues related to establishing a basis for long-lasting peace.  He says he told Bashir it is crucially important to deploy³ the African Union/United Nations hybrid⁴ peacekeeping force quickly to contain the violence in Darfur.

He says this was essential to ensure free access for aid workers so they can carry out their humanitarian⁵ work without fear of violence and intimidation⁶.

"President Bashir said he was committed to a cease-fire," said Mr. Ban.  "At the same time, he also explained, when there is an assault on government forces he had to take necessary action to defend himself."

About 200,000 people have been killed and more than two million have been internally displaced since the war in Darfur broke out in 2003.

Ban says no military solution to this war is possible.  Only a political solution will end the conflict. 

In this regard, he says President Bashir has made an important concession⁷ by agreeing to immediately release a jailed leader of the rebel Sudan Liberation Army.  Suleiman Jamous has been in government custody⁸ for more than a year awaiting medical treatment.

"I discussed this matter and raised his case again with President Bashir.  I explained to him that his immediate release creates a favorable atmosphere for peace," he added.  "I am pleased to announce that President Bashir agreed to his immediate release.  The U.N. office here will take the necessary arrangement to bring him to Kenya as soon as necessary arrangements are made."

Ban says he expects political talks between the government and rebel leaders will take place in October.  The time and place still have to be worked out.  He says he plans to hold a high-level meeting on the situation in Darfur in New York on September 21.  He says Sudan's foreign minister will attend.

1 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

2 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。

3 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

4 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

5 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。

6 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

7 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

8 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。