AU Envoy, Sudanese Vice-President review progress on Darfur talks
April 22, 2006 (ABUJA) — Sudanese Second Vice-President Ali Osman Taha reviewed today for the third times with African Chief mediator Salim Ahmed Salim the progress in the negotiations with Darfur rebels movements to reach a peace agreement.
In continuation of their series of consultations, the African Union Special Envoy and Chief Mediator for Darfur Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, and the Vice-President of the Republic of The Sudan H.E. Ali Osman Mohammad Taha, today, met for the third time in just a few days, and reviewed the efforts they have so far deployed, respectively, vis-à-vis the Sudanese Movements – the SLM/A and JEM – with a view to arriving at an early conclusion of the negotiations.
The AU Special Envoy was accompanied by the Head of the AU Mediation Team, Ambassador Sam B. Ibok, the AU spokesperson Nourredine Mezni said in a press statement.
Taha and Salim also exchanged views on the outcome of the latter’s recent visit to New York where he briefed the United Nations Security Council on the status of the peace talks. They both reiterated the absolute need to exert even greater effort to speed up the negotiations.
Intimating that he was encouraged by the ongoing meetings between the Vice-President and the leadership of the rebel groups, Salim underscored the fact that the responsibility to negotiate and reach the desired comprehensive peace agreement rested primarily with the Sudanese Parties, adding that the AU Mediation and the International Partners were only there to help the Parties through this process with ideas and proposals.
The AU Special Envoy then warned that shirking that responsibility would amount to exacerbating the already tragic situation, among other terrible consequences for the people of Darfur.
The AU Special Envoy who described the meeting as “constructive and helpful” expressed the hope that the Vice-President would remain longer in Abuja, as the negotiations had entered a very critical phase.
(ST)