Slovenia’s Drnovsek urges Libya, France to join efforts to help Darfur

Jan 27, 2006 (LJUBLJANA) — Slovene president Janez Drnovsek has sent his appeal to solve the humanitarian crisis in Darfur to French President Jacques Chirac and Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi, the president told the press on Friday.

According to the Slovenian news agency STA, Drnovsek asked Gadhafi to make good on his recent promise to send 3,000 Libyan troops to the Sudanese region. Libya, which maintains good relations with the Darfur rebels and the government in Khartoum, could play a constructive role, he added.

The Slovene president has meanwhile called on Chirac to increase France’s military presence at the country’s military base in Chad and help the local authorities in guarding the border between the Chad and Sudan.

According to Drnovsek, such intervention could be organized faster than a normal UN-sponsored peace mission.

Moreover, Libya’s military could reinforce African Union’s (AU) forces already in the region, while France could place its mission within the already existing NATO effort to help the AU forces.

Drnovsek also said that he maintains regular contact with international experts with whom he is to organize next Thursday a conference on possible political solutions to the issue.

The president also announced that he is sending the famous Slovene traveller and philantropist Tomo Kriznar to Darfur as his special envoy. Kriznar will try to assess the situation and establish contact with the rebels, Drnovsek explained.

Asked about the Kosovo issue, Drnovsek said he believes that it is imperative that Kosovo gets a new president as well as a new head of the negotiating team on the future status of the restless province.

Commenting on the victory of extremist group Hamas at the recent Palestinian elections, Drnovsek said that elections are elections and any side can win. Indeed, extremist groups often have more manoeuvre space to reach a political compromise, he believes.

(ST)