AU urges Sudan to create conductive environment for peace in Darfur
Feb 27, 2007 ( KHARTOUM) — During one-day visit the AU commissioner for peace urged the Sudanese official to create a conductive environment to the success of UN-African Union mission to maintain peace and to bring a lasting peace in Darfur.
The African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security, Said Djinnit, during talks with the Sudanese official emphasized the important role of Khartoum in creating an environment conducive to the success of the joint mission of the AU and UN envoys to Darfur. He also expressed the need to expedite the implementation of the three UN support packages to AMIS.
Commissioner Djinnit’s meetings took place within the framework of the AU’s regular consultations with stakeholders and focused on consolidating the peace process and strengthening AMIS peace support operations in Darfur, a AU press statement said.
They were conducted in accordance with the Addis Ababa high level consultations of November 16th 2006, which were subsequently endorsed by the AU Peace and Security Council and UN Security Council.
Ambassador Said Djinnit left Khartoum Monday following a twenty four hour visit to the Sudanese capital. During his visit, Commissioner Djinnit consulted with senior Sudanese officials including Vice President, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, Presidential Advisor, Majzoub Al-khalifa and State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alsammani Alwasila on the current situation in Darfur. He also took part in the weekly meeting of Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) implementation Management Commission alongside the signatories to the DPA and Declaration of Commitment (DoC).
Vice-President Taha and the other GoS officials assured Djinnit of the Government’s commitment to work closely with Salim and Jan Eliasson, expressing full confidence in the two envoys. They also confirmed their commitment to the outcomes of Addis Ababa high level consultations. They laid particular emphasis on the Government of Sudan’s response to the letter from AU Chairperson Alpha Konare and the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the heavy support package. This they said had now been finalized and was on its way to the AU and UN leadership.
At the weekly meeting of the DPA Implementation Management Commission Ambassador Djinnit stressed the need to boost confidence by working in good faith and transparency with all the parties. Only in this way would the necessary conditions be created to enable others to come on board and join the peace process.
All parties at the meeting re-affirmed that peace was their strategic option and that they were resolved to continue implementing the DPA while extending their hands to the DPA’s opponents to join with them.
(ST)