The United Nations Security Council is holding a rare meeting in Africa today in hopes of drawing world attention to the ongoing tragedy in the Darfur region of that country.

At the session, held in Nairobi, Secretary General Kofi Annan explained that conditions in Darfur continued to be dangerous. 'I regret to report that the security situation ... continued to deteriorate despite the cease-fire agreement signed earlier. Both the government and its militias as well as the rebel groups have breached these agreements. The strongest warning to all the parties that are causing this suffering is essential.'

A long civil war in Sudan has led to genocide. Arabs, who dominate the northern part of the country, have been fighting against non-Arabs who live in the south. Arab militias have driven an estimated 1.8 million non-Arabs from their homes and killed thousands of innocent people. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has called the situation genocide.

U.S. ambassador to the UN, John Danforth, remains hopeful that a final peace agreement can be signed shortly to end 21 years of civil war. ''The peace agreement is going to be signed by December 31,' Danforth told reporters. 'The parties will sign a memorandum of understanding that will commit them to signing the peace agreement by the end of the year.'

Many peace deals and ceace fires have been signed before but the war and killing continue.

Annan said the UN remains concerned about the situation and will stay involved. 'When crimes on such a scale are being committed, and a sovereign state appears unable or unwilling to protect its own citizens, a grave responsibility falls on the international community, and specifically on this council,' he said.

It remains to be seen exactly how much the UN can do to eleviate the situation in the Sudan.