VOA常速英语2008年-Chad-Sudan Talks Face Delays

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
13 March 2008

Planned Chad-Sudan peace talks have faced more delays on the sidelines of the Islamic conference being held in Senegal.  Host Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade¹ promised a new deal, but instead so far his efforts have been marked by no-shows and more accusations².  VOA's Nico Colombant reports from Dakar.

Mr. Wade hosted Chadian President Idriss Deby late into the night Wednesday at the Presidency³ in Dakar.

The president of Gabon, Omar Bongo, was also there as was U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

But Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir never appeared.

Just before midnight, Mr. Wade told a waiting throng⁴ of journalists, Mr. Bashir had told him he was tired from his recent travels from Dubai, and had a headache, so he would prefer the meeting to take place Thursday.  But a planned sideline peace summit Thursday was also pushed back.

In his inaugural⁵ speech, Mr. Wade made no mention of the Chad-Sudan matter.

Both countries have backed rebels in each other's country, in a region torn by population movements, army, rebel and militia⁶ activity, despite the presence of international peacekeepers.  The fighting involves different ethnic⁷ groups, but most of the fighters are Muslims, which is why many officials at the Islamic conference thought it would be a good forum⁸ to help end the violence.

The leaders of Chad and Sudan have signed five previous agreements, but none has ever been implemented⁹.  Prior to his trip to Dakar, Mr. Bashir said he had held Mr. Deby's hand inside the holiest Muslim shrine¹⁰ the Kaaba, but even that had not led to peace.

In his opening remarks to the Islamic conference, the president of the Malaysian senate, Abdul Hamid Pawanteh, representing the previous host, said it was important for the group to become more active in resolving such problems.

"Malaysia wishes the OIC to play a greater role in improving the welfare of Muslims," he said.  "We would like the OIC to contribute more effectively to international peace and security.  We must make the OIC relevant to the 21st century, in an era of globalization and a borderless world."

Even as the peace talks failed to start in Dakar, officials in Chad said a column of Sudan-backed rebels had just entered Chad.

But Chadian rebels who nearly toppled Mr. Deby in February said they were already in Chad, and regrouping, but not advancing. 

Officials from the former Chadian colonial power, France, said French troops inside Chad had not noticed new movements.  French troops helped Mr. Deby in fighting off last month's rebel incursion.

A spokesman for a new European peacekeeping force trying to secure refugees on the Chadian side of the border also denied the presence of a rebel column.

But in Sudan's warring Darfur region, fighting has escalated¹¹ in recent weeks.  U.N. efforts to boost an existing, but cash and equipment-strapped African Union peacekeeping force have been slowed down, amid problems with Sudanese officials.

1 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

2 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。

3 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。

4 throng   

n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集

参考例句：

• A patient throng was waiting in silence.一大群耐心的人在静静地等着。
• The crowds thronged into the mall.人群涌进大厅。

5 inaugural   

adj.就职的；n.就职典礼

参考例句：

• We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
• Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。

6 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

7 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

8 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

9 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

10 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

11 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。