New chief of AU-UN mission to Darfur assumes his duties

July 9, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Rodolphe Adada, the newly appointed AU-UN Joint Special Representative for Darfur, arrived in Khartoum on Thursday, 5 July, and assumed his duties as AMIS Head of Mission, pending the deployment of the Hybrid Operation.

Since his arrival, Adada has paid courtesy calls on senior Government of Sudan officials. During his meeting with the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir on Saturday, 7 July, Adada delivered a written message from Denis Sassou N’Guesso, President of Congo, in which Congolese Head of State thanked his Sudanese counterpart for approving the appointment of Mr. Rodolphe Adada as AU-UN Special Joint Representative for Darfur.

President Al-Bashir welcomed Adada to Sudan and promised to give him the necessary support for the success of his important mission.

During his meetings with the Sudanese government ministers, the GoS officials reiterated the support of the Government of Sudan for Adada’s mission. He and the GoS officials committed to cooperate in order to ensure the success of AMIS and later the AU-UN Hybrid Operation, in the interest of Africa and the people of Sudan.

The new AMIS Head of Mission also met today with Minni Minawi, Senior Assistant to the President and President of the Darfur Transitional Regional Authority (DTRA), who assured Adada of his full cooperation, adding that he looks forward to working in partnership with him to restore peace and stability in Darfur.

On Monday afternoon, 9 July, Adada briefed the African and AMIS partners Ambassadors on his new assignment and called on their countries to provide him with the necessary support for the success of his mission.

He told the press he looked forward to his mission with “enthusiasm and hope.” He further acknowledged that “This is a major mission and a challenge for Africa… a heavy operation” which can only be accomplished with the support of the Government of Sudan and AMIS’s international partners.

On the other hand, Adada had reviewed the current efforts to re-energise the Darfur peace process in a meeting on Saturday, 7 July, with the UN envoy for Darfur, Jan Eliasson, and met later on Monday evening with the AU envoy for Darfur, Salim Ahmed Salim, who has just returned from a working trip to this region. He also met earlier with the Acting Head of the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS), Taye-Brook Zerihoum, with whom he discussed issues of common interest to AMIS and UNMIS.

On Tuesday, 10 July, Adada will travel to AMIS Forward Force Headquarters in El Fashir, Darfur for a one-day visit, after which he will go to New York for consultations at UN Headquarters followed by working visits to some European capitals, and return later for a more comprehensive tour of all AMIS sectors in Darfur.
(ST)