US supports UN, AU effort to ease rebel meeting in Darfur

Jan 22, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The United States embassy in Khartoum supported AU and UN efforts to facilitate a meeting of military commanders of Darfur holdout rebel groups to lay a foundation for political dialogue.

SLA rebels from different bases come together for a meeting in Tarenjer village, west Darfur, October 11, 2004.

While Sudanese army since November tries to abort any attempt to gather the commanders of the non-signatory groups of the DPA, the US diplomatic mission supported in a press statement efforts exerted by the AU and UN “in order to lay a foundation for a broader political dialogue, as stipulated in the conclusions to the November 16 UN/AU meeting in Addis Ababa.”

“The United States calls on the Government of Sudan to respond positively to the request from the African Union for assurances that such a meeting of non-signatory commanders can take place under secure conditions;” the statement said

The US embassy also exhorted the holdout rebels to seek a peaceful solution of Darfur crisis within the framework of the Darfur peace Agreement. This statement coincided with the meeting held by the US envoy to Sudan in Chad with Darfur rebel movements.

The AU ceasefire commission condemned may times the Sudanese government because of the intensification of air strikes and attacks by Khartoum backed militia.

Darfur rebels announced several times that Sudan military airplanes bombed them while they are organizing or going to attend a political meeting in order to reunite their groups.

(ST)