By Opheera McDoom
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (Reuters) - Sudan could tip into"freefall" unless the international community helps to resolveits multiple crises, Britain's minister for Africa said on thesidelines of an African summit on Monday.
A lack of progress towards resolving the 5-1/2-year-oldDarfur conflict, fighting in the oil-rich Abyei region claimedby both north and south Sudan, and tension with neighbouringChad were all critical issues, Mark Malloch-Brown told Reuters.
"We've go to find a way to help Sudan and its constituentparts start to work through these problems and solve them,otherwise ... there could be a dangerous tipping point wherethe country goes into a freefall."
In particular, he said a joint U.N.-African Unionpeacekeeping force, UNAMID, must deploy fast in Sudan's Darfurregion to help the efforts of a new joint U.N./AU mediator forDarfur, Burkino Faso Foreign Minister Djibril Bassolet.
International experts estimate 200,000 people have died and2.5 million have been driven from their homes in Darfur sincemostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in 2003, accusing thecentral government of neglect.
"Unless UNAMID deployment rapidly ramps up ... it in asense removes the critical underpinning and momentum for peacewhich comes out of improved security," Malloch-Brown said.
Bassolet's appointment is still awaiting agreement from theparties to the conflict, but Sudanese Foreign Minister DengAlor said on Monday that Khartoum would accept him.
"It's okay -- we are happy," he told Reuters. "He's aforeign minister and he has held many ministerial positions andis a military man."
Separately, the top U.S. official on Africa, JendayiFrazer, said it was unlikely that talks about normalisingrelations with the United States would resume before the U.S.elections in November. Washington has Sudan on a list of statesponsors of terrorism and operates economic sanctions againstit.
"We were very clear from the outset ... normalisationdepends on results on the ground and clearly things have notimproved in Darfur and things have deteriorated in Abyei," shetold reporters on the sidelines of the summit.
Among the terms of Sudan's 2005 north-south was adistribution of power and of the wealth stemming from Sudan'soil output of 500,000 barrels per day.
But at least 89 people died in May in clashes betweennorthern and southern forces in Abyei, close to major oilfieldscoveted by both sides.
"At this point it doesn't look favourable because theyhaven't implemented those agreements," Frazer said.
(Editing by Kevin Liffey)
