Sudan's Bashir declares Darfur ceasefire

By Andrew Heavens

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, facing a possible indictment by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Darfur, announced a cease-fire in the region on Wednesday.

But an important Darfur rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement, called the announcement a "PR exercise" and vowed to fight on until a proper cease-fire deal was reached.

The move by Bashir, accused in July by the ICC chief prosecutor of masterminding a campaign of genocide in Darfur, marks the latest push by the Sudanese government to persuade the United Nations Security Council to suspend any ICC warrant.

"I hereby announce our immediate unconditional cease-fire between the armed forces and the warring factions, provided that an effective monitoring mechanism is put into action and observed by all involved parties," Bashir said in a speech.

He also pledged to launch a campaign to disarm militias in the vast region in Sudan's west, where international experts estimate that 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been displaced since the conflict between the government and mostly African rebels flared in 2003.

Khartoum puts the death toll at 10,000 people.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon cautiously welcomed the move though a statement by his spokeswoman noted previous attempted ceasefires had failed.

"The effectiveness of any cease-fire depends upon all parties demonstrating their commitment to a cessation of hostilities, particularly since past efforts to uphold a cease-fire in Darfur were not successful," the statement said.