AU, UN, Sudan discuss deployment of additional experts in Darfur
Feb 25, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan said that negotiations are going on with the African Union and the UN to implement the second phase of the UN support to the African troops in Darfur, the foreign ministry said that this phase includes between 400 to 500 experts and technicians.
The ministry of foreign affairs has announced that work on the first support package provided by the UN to the African Union troops in Darfur is about to be completed and that the members of the tripartite mechanism, including the government of Sudan, are in the process of discussing the second package ahead of its implementation.
The spokesman for the ministry of foreign affairs, Ali al-Sadiq, said in press statements yesterday that the three sides would implement the second package after it was approved. He said the second package would cost 45m dollars which the UN had pledged to provide.
Al-Sadiq said the second package involved between 400 and 500 experts and technicians and would take between two to three months to implement. He further admitted there were difficulties facing the implementation of the first package but described these as minor saying they had mainly been overcome.
The spokesperson further said he hoped the recent Tripoli summit would be a step to reaching a solution in Darfur and said he expected Libya and Chad to play a valuable role in making negotiations successful.
He pointed out that the two remaining AU troop support packages would be dispensed with if an agreement was reached and if those opposed to the Abuja agreement joined the peace process.
The three-phase plan agreed in Addis Ababa on 16 November 2006 between the AU, UN and the Sudan. The third phase is expected to see the deployment of 17,000 troops and 3,000 police officers. Sudan, however, stressed that any U.N. role in Darfur under the plan is limited to technical and logistical support of the African Union forces with no peacekeeping powers.
(ST)