Italian Parliamentary delegation visits Darfur
July 13, 2007 (El FASHER) — An Italian Parliamentary delegation from the Commission on Foreign Affairs visited the African Union headquarters in Darfur and met with AMIS leadership there.
The delegation headed by Umberto Ranieri, chairman of th Commission on Foreign Affairs, expressed Italy’s concern regarding the dire humanitarian situation in Darfur.
Ranieri stressed the need to bring the political process back to life and finding a peaceful settelment to the conflict in Darfiur.
Italy holds a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council this year. The council is expected to adopt a resolution within days authorizing the UN-AU hybrid force in Darfur.
Below is a press release from the AMIS on the visit by the Italian Parliamentary delegation
Press Release
Italian Parliamentary delegation visits AMIS Forward Force Headquarter in Darfur, calls on international community to do more
A high-level Italian Parliamentary delegation, led by the Hon. Umberto Ranieri, President of the Commission on Foreign Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, visited Darfur on Tuesday 10 July,2007.
The delegation met with AMIS and UN leadership in an effort to review the situation on the ground in Darfur, especially in the context of the upcoming deployment of the UN Heavy Support package and Hybrid Operation. The delegation also met with representatives of the non-signatories of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) and representatives of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The delegation was received at AMIS headquarters in El Fasher by the Deputy Head of Mission, Ambassador Hassan Gibril, Deputy Force Commander, Brig. General Ephraim Rurangwa, and Joint Chief of Staff, Brig. General (Rtd) John Musonda.
The leader of the Italian Parliamentary delegation expressed the appreciation of Italy for the role the African Union is playing in the quest for peace and security in Darfur. He added that “Italy is convinced that the international community should do more to assist the civilian population caught up in the conflict. These are civilians who were forced to flee their homes, abandon their land and now live in camps. The humanitarian aspect of this tragic situation is a main concern for Italy”.
Mr. Ranieri said he believed the time is right to re-energize the political process and create opportunities for negotiating a peaceful settlement of the Darfur conflict. He emphasized that it is necessary to reinvigorate the political process in order to build consensus and chart the way forward. “All parties need to be brought back to the negotiating table,” he added.
Ambassador Gibril briefed the delegation on the current situation in Darfur and the work undertaken by the African Union, in collaboration with the UN and the international community, to resolve the conflict. In that regard, he recalled that AU Special Envoy, Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim recently met with JEM leaders in Darfur, in an effort to bring them on board as partners in the negotiation process, and regretted that the fragmentation of rebel Movements is a major political and security challenge. He further expressed optimism that the peacekeeping operation will be substantially strengthened and enhanced with the deployment of the AU-UN Hybrid operation.
Following the meeting with AMIS, the Italian delegation met with representatives of the UN Light Support Package and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), before meeting with representatives of IDPs at the El Salam camp near El Fasher.
In a brief meeting with non-signatories of the DPA, Mr. Umberto Ranieri said, “It is very important to unify your factions and to make an effort to reach an agreement. Tripoli offers an opportunity to chart a path for peace and we would like to have you on board as partners of peace.”
Before travelling to El Fasher, the Italian Parliamentary delegation was received in Khartoum on Monday, 9 July 2007 by the new AMIS Head of Mission and AU-UN Special Joint Representative for Darfur, His Excellency Mr. Rodolphe Adada.
(ST)