New York - After weeks of rising violence in Sudan's war- ravaged western province Darfur, the situation has calmed down over the past three days, according a joint report released Monday by the African Union and United Nations , which share peace-keeping operations. Nonetheless, tension was still high after Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir expelled aid groups from the region in retaliation for an arrest warrant issued against him in March by the International Criminal Court for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The bloody conflict in Darfur, now in its sixth year, has claimed an estimated 300,000 civilian lives, including many women and children, since Al-Bashir's government sent in private militias to put down a local rebellion in Darfur. An estimated 2.5 million people have been displaced.

The AU and UN operate a joint peacekeeping force of 12,000 soldiers, called UNAMID, which is still short of its approved maximum of 19,555 and ever dependent on al-Bashir's good will.

Last week in Johannesburg, a group of human rights groups warned that "millions" of people would die of hunger and disease in Darfur unless the government allowed aid agencies to return. The UN has estimated recently the clampdown would affect 4.7 million people.

On a positive note, the Sudanese government is expected to send official representatives from the local and national level to join UN, UNAMID and diplomatic officials for the second meeting of the Darfur Human Rights Forum on Tuesday, the UN-AU report said.

The meeting is to take place in El Geneina, capital of West Darfur state. (dpa)