Sudan says no divergences with US on AU forces
Dec 10, 2006 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan said there is nor divergences between Khartoum and Washington on the outcome of African Union meeting at end of November in Abuja on the extension of the African forces for six moths.
The talks between the Foreign Minister, Lam Akol, and the US President envoy for Sudan, Andrew Natsios, reflected similarity in the views on the basis of the recent consultations in Addis Ababa, upon which the Abuja agreement adopted at the end of November.
The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ali Al-Saddiq, said the US envoy arrived in Khartoum with an erroneous understanding of Sudan stance on the outcome of the meeting of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council.
He further added the Sudanese officials have corrected the American envoy’s concept and affirmed that Sudan is not objected to the outcome of the Abuja meeting.
Sudan, the United Nations and the AU agreed in principle on 16 November to create a hybrid mission, raising hopes that a stronger U.N.-backed force could be deployed to help stem the violence. But confusion has remained, with some Sudanese officials saying they want U.N. support — but only in the form of finance and logistics, rather than U.N. troops on the ground.
Sudan agreed in Abuja to allow the United Nations to take over command of the African Union peacekeeping force in the war-torn region of Darfur, a top AU official said.
“We have welcomed Sudan’s acceptance of the use of systems and command and control structures of the UN,” AU Peace and Security Council head Said Djinnit told reporters in Abuja at the end of the inaugural African-South American summit, on 30 November.
But the Sudanese president in the same meeting rejected the AU-UN hybrid force saying “We can take technical advisory and financial support from the U.N., but no U.N. force.”
So the Sudanese position is in favour of a common AU-UN command for AU forces with the technical and financial support of the UN.
Al-Saddiq said that the meeting between the Foreign Minister and the American envoy also tackled the issue of the bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them.
On the other hand the Senior Presidential aide, Minni Minawi, briefed the US envoy, Andrew Natsios, about the general situation in Darfur, particularly the implementation of Darfur peace agreement.
(ST)