khartoum plans to disarm

July 3, 2006 (KHARTOUM) – Presidential advisor, Majzoub al-Khalifa, announced that the government has worked out a new plan for disarmament of the militias in Darfur, explaining that the government held dialogue with the African Union (AU) about this plan. Speaking to SUNA, Dr. Al-Khalifa said that the government proposed ways for disarmament of the militias that the African Union has praised, as they would lead to a comprehensive process associated to realization of security in Darfur, and the cooperation between the Armed forces and the African Union. He added that the plan was supposed to be mapped out 35 days following the beginning of implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), explaining that the government has done so even before that fixed date. On recent statements of the UN Special Representative for Sudan, Jan Pronk, about entry of UN Forces in Darfur, Dr. Al-Khalifa said that Pronk withdrew his statements Monday. He added that the African Union has commented on that and explained that such statements deals with the Darfur – Darfur dialogue to discuss a number of issues that can bear contributions and arrangements without contradiction with the agreement. Dr. Al-Khalifa said that Pronk’s statements were erroneous message at the outset, but the African Union strongly confronted them and so did Pronk himself.