Peace process is cardinal to end Darfur suffering – AU

June 22, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) — Alleviating the ongoing humanitarian suffering in Sudan’s Darfur region requires a comprehensive peace approach on three tracks, namely, political process, ceasefire and the peacekeeping plan, said the African Union (AU) on Friday.

In the absence of an inclusive political process, a peacekeeping operation couldn’t assist in realizing security in Darfur, said AU Commission Chairperson Alpha Omar Konare in a report to the 79th meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council.

At the same time, he said a political solution will not be sustainable if the parties do not have confidence that a strong, impartial and proactive peacekeeping force is being deployed.

The conflict in Darfur with devastating security implications and humanitarian consequences is essentially a political problem, which can only be resolved through a political process, he said.

Sudan has accepted a proposed UN-AU hybrid peacekeeping force for Darfur.

(Xinhua)