France calls for dialogue to end crisis in Darfur

France on Tuesday said the continued violence in Darfur would taint a credible political future in the region where citizens began voting in a referendum on whether to unite the five federal states to one region, the French foreign ministry said.

"In a context of renewed violence and the persistence of a large number of displaced persons and refugees, France considers that the conditions for a credible political consultation are not met," the ministry said.

France also expressed concern over the situation in Darfur and called for a "successful, transparent and inclusive" national dialogue to end the crisis in the region.

On Monday, citizens in Darfur began voting in three-day referendum on whether to keep Darfur's current five-state system or to unify them into one region.

In 2003, stability in Darfur was broken following clashes between non-Arab tribes and the Arab-led government. The conflict killed about 300,000 people and forced more than 4 million others to flee violence, according to United Nations figures.

Source: XINHUA