British officials express UK’s key concerns on Darfur to Sudan’s FM
April 28, 2008 (LONDON) – In a meeting with his Sudanese foreign minister, the British foreign minister, and international development state minister expressed UK’s key concerns on Darfur, the Foreign Office said today.
During the meeting the Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for International Development, pressed Deng Alor on the UK’s key concerns on Darfur: the security situation and humanitarian access; the urgent need for a cessation of hostilities; more active cooperation from the Government of Sudan on the UNAMID deployment.
The British officials further discussed how a cessation of hostilities could help improve prospects for progress in the political process, and how the UK could help.
However the Foreign Office didn’t elaborate on the initiative of the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, to host Darfur peace talks. It was expected that they would deliver further details on the issue.
A Darfur rebel leader yesterday urged the British government to discuss with the Sudanese delegation the halt of violence as priority before peace talks. Abdel-Wahid had requested Britain to respect the resolution of the Five Permanent members of the UN Security Council to stop violence before talks.
The British ministers also urged the Sudanese government to cooperate fully with the ICC, which has issued warrants for two Sudanese citizens, accused of war crimes in Darfur in 2003 and 2004.
This demand comes in line with the appeal addressed by the ICC prosecutor last Saturday, to the international community demanding more pressures on Khartoum to arrest a Sudanese state minister and a militia commander suspected of committing war crimes in Darfur.
The meeting discussed the upcoming meeting of the Sudan Consortium which will take place in Oslo on May 5 – 7.
The British Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for International Development stressed that further international support for implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and development in Sudan will depend on progress on peace and security issues, including in Darfur.
They welcomed the start of the census, a key milestone for the CPA, and pressed for rapid progress on an electoral law and the establishment of a National Election Commission, both necessary for the conduct of free and fair nationwide elections in 2009.
Deng Alor will also meet Lord Malloch-Brown, Minister for Africa on Tuesday 29 April.
The Sudanese minister arrived yesterday to London with the presidential adviser, Mustafa Osman Ismail to discuss bilateral relations and Darfur crisis.
(ST)