Darfur peacekeeping chief in talks with Sudan government
May 14, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The head of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), Rodolphe Adada, held a series of meetings in Khartoum today with senior Sudanese officials, continuing the Mission’s long-running dialogue with the government that has consented to its presence.
The JSR last month had stated before the UN Security Council: “Our cooperation with the Government of Sudan has been good. The tripartite mechanism between the United Nations, African Union, and Government of Sudan has functioned very well and greatly facilitated the work [of deploying UNAMID].”
According to UNAMID, the talks with Nafie focused on finding ways to speed up deployment of the peacekeeping mission.
In talks with former rebel leader Minni Minawi, who is nominally Senior Assistant to the President, the peacekeeping boss focused on the situation in North Darfur, especially the area around Um Baru, where fighting erupted recently between Minawi’s Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).
Minawi presented a detailed briefing on the situation to Adada, who underlined the neutrality of the Mission while it performs its duties. UNAMID has a base in Um Baru.
Adada said his meetings with Nafie were “frank, direct and fruitful.” For his part, Nafie reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to help facilitate the work of UNAMID.
Yesterday the UNAMID boss also met the ambassadors of France, the United Kingdom and Qatar, and the charge d’affaires of the United States, to brief them on the status of UNAMID’s deployment and the various activities of the Mission.
The United States has not acquiesced to recent requests from UNAMID Force Commander Martin Agwai to provide helicopters. But on Thursday the diplomats voiced support for the peacekeepers, UNAMID said.
(ST)