Jesse Jackson visits Darfur
American civil rights activist the Rev Jesse Jackson visited the conflict-torn region of Darfur on Friday, urging the Sudanese government and African rebels to end the crisis that has killed thousands of villagers and driven more than a million from their homes. Arriving in the provincial capital of North Darfur in an aircraft lent by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Jackson said he wanted to "observe first-hand what we have heard through testimony and what we have read". "It is obvious there is a great humanitarian crisis," Jackson said after landing at an airport in the north Darfur capital of Al-Fasher. "We call for collective action soon to stop the violence and open up the roads for relief and that requires a worldwide effort," said Jackson. "Timing is of the essence as people are dying every day." [more 
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