UN Chief to name Eritrean diplomat as new special envoy to Sudan

January 31, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA) — U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday said he will name Haile Menkerios, a former Eritrean diplomat as his special envoy to Sudan making him the third head of the UN Mission in Sudan.

“I have the intention to appoint Haile Menkerios as head of UNMIS as of the end of February with a view to facilitate the political process,” disclosed Ban Ki Moon during remarks delivered at special meeting on Sudan at the sidelines of the AU summit in Addis Ababa.

Menkerios, is currently the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs.

At the UN, he was Director of the Africa I Division in the Department of Political Affairs from June 2003 to June 2005. On September 26, 2005, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced his appointment as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo; he assumed this post in October 2005. Subsequently, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced his appointment as UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs on May 16, 2007, and he assumed this post on July 1, 2007.

From 1991 to 2000, Menkerios was Eritrea’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and the Organisation of African Unity, and was Eritrea’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

Ban Ki-Moon said yesterday he would work with the African Union to maintain united Sudan and avoid southern Sudan secession.

The UN Secretary General reiterated during the special meeting his call for the Sudanese parties signatories of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to make unity attractive. He also urged them to reach an agreement on the key post referendum arrangement.

“To the CPA parties, I urge an acceleration of efforts to make unity attractive. I call on them to ensure an environment in which candidates can campaign freely and the people of Sudan can vote without any interference,” he said.

“The referenda in Southern Sudan and Abyei need to be held without hindrance and the results duly respected, he added.

In a recent report to the UN Security Council, Ban said a new civil war in Sudan could break out, given the atmosphere of deep mistrust between various key players in the country.

Also, Sudan Rice, US envoy to the UN, expressed concerns about arms flowing to South Sudan saying “We heard today from the U.N. that it is not just small arms but some heavier munitions that seem to be flowing in,” adding Washington believes some were coming from northern Sudan.

But Khartoum denied the accusations.

(ST)