Sudan arrests Slovenian envoy in Darfur

July 25, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese authorities have arrested a senior Slovenian envoy during a visit to Darfur, officials said on Tuesday.

Slovenia had held intensive talks with Darfur rebels during the race to sign up rebel groups to a peace deal with Sudan’s government in May.

“(Tomo Kriznar) was arrested in Darfur on Wednesday (July 19),” said one AU official who declined to be named. Kriznar is the Slovenian president’s special envoy.

The president’s office said Kriznar had contacted it from Sudan to say he was dealing with the Sudanese authorities over a visa problem. The office said he was feeling well and officials were working to secure his release.

It was not immediately clear if he was in Sudan on official official business for Slovenia.

Sudanese government officials were not immediately available to comment.

Tens of thousands have been killed and 2.5 million forced from their homes in more than three years of rape, killing and pillage in Darfur.

In the end, only one of three rebel factions signed the May accord. The others said it did not meet their basic demands of fair compensation for war victims or representative political representation in Khartoum.

Renegade commanders from the Sudan Liberation Army and the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) united with former Darfur governor Ahmed Ibrahim Diraige to form the National Redemption Front (NRF), which attacked a Sudanese town just outside Darfur last month.

Immediately prior to forming their alliance, the JEM leaders and Diraige had been in intense closed-door talks with the Slovenian president in Ljubljana.

(Reuters)