China, Sudan coordinate positions on UN takeover in Darfur – envoy
Oct 26, 2006 (BEIJING) — Sudanese envoy in China said Beijing coordinates its positions on the deployment of UN forces in Darfur at the level of UN Security Council with Khartoum.
In a statement to the official SUNA, Sudanese Ambassador to China Mirghani Mohamed Salih disclosed that China has kept in constant contacts and consultations with the government of Sudan at the level of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, via written message telephone calls, for arrangement and coordination of stances on the UN takeover in Darfur.
The envoy has affirmed that China’s efforts are continuing to convince the big powers on the importance of Sudan’s consent before replacing the African forces in Darfur with international ones.
Salih said that China’s primary stances are that all issues should be solved through peaceful means and that China does not support forcing countries to accept any conditions.
He further disclosed that China has played a key role in lessening many of the resolutions issued, and exerted considerable efforts even before they were issued, namely in terms of how to implement them.
The ambassador said that the expected visit of the Sudanese president to China early next November would avail the opportunity for the President to meet his Chinese counterpart to discuss and consult on the different issues of mutual concern, particularly the peace in Sudan.
Since last May China has clearly indicated to the permanent members of the UN Security Council that it opposes any resolution to deploy UN peacekeepers under the authority of the Chapter 7 of the UN charter.
The volume of commercial exchange between Sudan and China amounted to 4.5 billion US Dollars by end of current fiscal, while the trade balance reached 3.9 billion US dollars by end of last year, said Sudan Ambassador to China Mergani Mohamed Salih.
The government in Khartoum is believed to have a grip on Africa’s greatest unexploited oil resources, even greater than those of the Gulf of Guinea. Sudan’s crude production hits 500,000 barrels but oil analysts say this represents only 15 percent of Sudan’s total reserves.
(ST)