Sudan appeals Tanzania to contribute in Darfur peace settlement
June 24, 2006 (DAR ES SALAAM) — The government of Sudan has asked Tanzania to play a role in facilitating implementation of the peace agreement in the Darfur Region.
In his message to President Jakaya Kikwete which was delivered by Minister for International Co-operation, al-Tegani Saleh Fedail, Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir implored Tanzania to participate in the efforts to bring peace in his country.
“The government of Sudan is asking Tanzania as a member of the United Nations Security Council, to convince groups which have not signed the peace agreement to do so, in order to expedite the implementation of the peace process,” Fedail told President Kikwete.
He also asked President Kikwete to help persuade warring groups to respect the Abuja Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) that was signed last month, and lay down their arms.
The Sudanese minister told President Kikwete the conflicts in his country are politically and economically motivated, saying the people need to know that peace does not come through a barrel of the gun.
He further asked the President to reopen Tanzania’s High Commission in Sudan which was closed in March 1986, due to economic hardships. Since then, the mission’s premises have been rented by Uganda.
The Sudanese High Commissioner to Tanzania E-Mughira Ali Omar accompanied the minister.
The Darfur conflict pitting the government against the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM), the largest rebel group, started three years ago.
Available data show that the conflict has triggered a huge humanitarian crisis, with thousands of people being killed and women and children raped.
Survivors are living as refugees with little or no help from the international community.
Another rebel group, the Sudan Liberation Army has split into two groups, one led by Minni Minnawi and another by Abdul Walid Mohammed Al-Nur, who is believed to be a supporter of the Sudanese government.
ST: Tanzania is one of ten non-permanent members (with year of term’s end) of the Security Council; it had a tough stand during the different resolutions on the crisis of Darfur.
(Guardian of Tanzania/ST)