in 7days news today

Prominent women from around the world yesterday called on world leaders to step up their efforts to end the violence in Darfur ahead of a day of action to support the troubled Sudanese region.

In an open letter, 26 women, including actresses Cate Blanchett and Mia Farrow, academic Germaine Greer, supermodel Elle Macpherson and former Irish president Mary Robinson, welcomed a recent United Nations resolution. But they said the agreement in July to bolster an African Union force had "changed nothing" on the ground, as it was unlikely to be fully deployed for another 12 to 18 months.
"Insecurity continues; more people than ever in Darfur and Chad are in need of aid, and aid agencies are finding it harder than ever to keep them alive," they wrote in the letter, which was to be published in newspapers. Tens of thousands of people across the world are expected to mark the fourth global "Day for Darfur" today, according to the coalition of charities and non-governmental organisations behind the event.
They were to call for urgent action to address the "continuing murder, rape and devastation of lives" in Darfur, the organisers added. "As women from four continents, we urge world leaders to step up the pressure on all parties in the conflict to agree to an immediate ceasefire," said the women, including Body Shop founder Anita Roddick, who signed before her death this week.
"There must be more and better humanitarian assistance and greater commitment to peace and peace-building." The women said there was now a "real window of opportunity" to make progress with an upcoming meeting on Darfur at the United Nations general assembly later this month.
"A comprehensive political solution is needed, of course," they added. "But an effective ceasefire is the only way to put an immediate stop to the suffering affecting millions of people in Darfur and eastern Chad. "Now is the time for world leaders to move beyond sympathy for the suffering. It is time to make it stop."
Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir, on a landmark visit for talks with Pope Benedict XVI, said on Friday he was ready to call a ceasefire ahead of peace talks with rebels next month in the Libyan capital Tripoli. Beshir faces mounting global pressure over the conflict which has killed at least 200,000 people and displaced two million since Khartoum enlisted Janjaweed Arab militia allies to put down an ethnic minority rebellion in 2003.