Sudan demands consultations before visas to UN experts
May 22, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan on Monday denied United Nations military experts’ immediate access to the western region of Darfur before prior consultation with Khartoum.
“The visas will not be issued to the international military experts before consultations are held between the government and the United Nations,” said Samani al-Wasila al-Sheikh, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
The UN Security Council adopted last Tuesday a resolution giving the Sudanese government a week to let in an international assessment team to prepare for a UN takeover of the peacekeeping mission in Darfur from the African Union (AU).
The resolution, however, did not specify what action the council would take if Khartoum failed to meet the deadline.
Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, is expected to arrive in Khartoum Tuesday 23 May morning to hold talks with Sudanese officials on this issue.
“The settlement of peace in Darfur needs economic and social works more than security works,” al-Sheikh told reporters.
He said that an AU delegation will arrive in Sudan on Wednesday to get acquainted with the preparations for implementing the peace agreement the government signed with Darfur rebels to put an end to the three-year conflict.
The biggest faction in the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), led by Minni Minawi, signed the peace accord with the government in the Nigerian capital Abuja on May 5.
But the other SLM faction led by Abdelwahid al-Nur and smaller rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) led by Khalil Ibrahim, rejected the peace agreement, claiming that it did not meet all their demands.
(ST)