2007年VOA标准英语-SAF President to Meet Sudanese Leaders

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
10 April 2007

SAF President Thabo Mbeki (File)

The South African president is preparing to meet his Sudanese counterpart for two days of talks in Sudan. Discussions are expected to focus on developments in the volatile¹ Darfur region and the thorny² issue of sending U.N. peacekeepers to Darfur. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has long resisted the idea of allowing U.N. peacekeepers to be deployed⁴ in Darfur, arguing that such a move would violate Sudan's sovereignty.

He has argued the United Nations should instead support the seven-thousand under-funded and poorly equipped African Union troops stationed in the region since 2004.

Bashir is expected to make these and other points to South African President Thabo Mbeki and Minister of Foreign Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma during their two-day visit to Sudan.

Rabie Abdul Atti, a senior adviser⁵ to Sudan's information minister, explains to VOA what he expects from Mr. Mbeki's visit.

"Number one: to facilitate for the African Union all the ways that African Union will be in a position to keep peace in Darfur. The second point: I expect that Thabo Mbeki will discuss with the president [Bashir] either to avoid any problem between Sudan and United Nations and U.N. Security [Council]," said Atti. "And, number three: maybe Thabo Mbeki will discuss also the assistance which will be provided by South Africa government to Sudan in the context of achieving peace in Darfur."

Under increasing pressure from the international community, Sudan and the United Nations agreed last November on a three-phase plan to deploy³ a so-called hybrid⁶ force of 20,000 United Nations and African Union troops to replace the AU force.

Following talks in the Ethiopian capital, the Sudanese government on Monday agreed to begin the second phase of the plan that involves accepting financial, technical and logistical support from the United Nations as well as more troops from African countries.

The four-year-old Darfur conflict has killed more than 200,000 people and displaced about two million more.

Involved in the fighting are Sudanese government forces, two rebel groups, and the Janjaweed militia⁷ that many say is being supported by the Sudanese government.

Fighting has accelerated in recent weeks and is spilling over into neighboring Chad.

The South African president is also expected to hold talks with First Vice⁸ President and President of South Sudan Salva Kiir.

Information minister adviser Atti says the two will likely discuss the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, or CPA, that the north and south, formerly⁹ controlled by the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement, signed in early 2005.

The agreement ended more than two decades of war between north and south Sudan.

"Thabo Mbeki will go through the implementation¹⁰ of the CPA [Comprehensive Peace Agreement] between Sudan and SPLM [Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement], and also the differences between Salva Kiir and the government regarding any conflicting points of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement up to now," he added.

Atti says he thinks this is Mr. Mbeki's fourth visit to Sudan.

1 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

2 thorny   

adj.多刺的，棘手的

参考例句：

• The young captain is pondering over a thorny problem.年轻的上尉正在思考一个棘手的问题。
• The boys argued over the thorny points in the lesson.孩子们辩论功课中的难点。

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 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

5 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

6 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。

7 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。

8 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

9 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

10 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。