UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Friday that the situation in Sudan is still fragile and dangerous, and called on all sides to reach a political settlement in accordance with their commitment.

In a report to the Security Council on Sudan, Annan noted that violence in Darfur has diminished since the period from early 2003 to mid-2004 before Security Council decisions and the deployment of AMIS (AU Mission in Sudan).

There can be little doubt that the situation in Darfur is less dangerous for civilians than it was a year ago, he said, adding that attacks on civilians have declined significantly over the past 12 months, and humanitarian relief workers have access to far more people in need than they had at the time the joint communiqu was signed in July 2004.

"Nevertheless, these developments represent only a modest step forward," the Secretary-General said, urging the government to improve this fragile and dangerous situation by following through on all of the commitments it agreed on in July 2004.

Annan emphasized that the only way to achieve a durable and just peace is to reach a political settlement between the government and the rebel movements which guarantees the effective protection of the human rights of everyone in Darfur.

He also expected the formation of a new government of national unity and the adoption of a national interim constitution with strong human rights provisions will present new opportunities to engage the parties at the negotiating table and move the political process forward.

"I am optimistic that an agreement can be reached by the end of the year if the parties show serious good-faith commitment to the African Union (AU)-led Abuja process and if there is sustained international pressure on them to do so," he added.

Meanwhile, Annan said the AU contribution to improving security yin Darfur was limited by the size of its force and its level of operational capability.

"The AU Commission and AU troop- and police-contributing countries and donors will have to proceed diligently with the expansion of AMIS," he noted.

The Secretary-General also encouraged the international community to provide the support required for them to accomplish this challenging task, and sustain their support for the humanitarian relief efforts.

(Xinhua News Agency July 23, 2005)