Sudan Foreign Minister, US envoy hold talks

Jan 31, 2006 (NEW YORK) — Sudanese Foreign Minister, Lam Akol Ajawin, briefed the Permanent U.S. Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador John Bolton, on Darfur peace talks and the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

The meeting touched at the situations in Darfur as well as the efforts being exerted to achieve peace. The Sudanese minister stressed on the importance of the support of the international community.

The United States will chair the UN Security Council presidency in February. The deployment of an international peacekeeping force in Sudan’s Darfur region will be discussed by the council during this period.

Earlier last month, Jendayi Frazer, the U.S. assistant secretary of state in charge of African affairs, said Washington would support augmenting the African Union, or AU, force with U.N. peacekeepers.

Meanwhile, the minister met with the Ambassadors of the Arab countries to the UN, reviewing the latest developments of situations in Sudan as well as the efforts being exerted by the national-unity government to implement the CPA and to solve the issue of Darfur.

Akol further expressed Sudan’s gratitude to the Arab Group in the UN for its support to Sudan, briefing the Arab Ambassadors on the current preparations to hold the Arab Summit conference in Khartoum next March.

(ST)