Sudanese parties have to decide when to begin Darfur talks – envoy
January 13, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — African Union Special Envoy to Darfur, Salem Ahmed Salem, on Sunday stressed that Sudanese have to decide when to start peace talks and do their best to end the ongoing conflict in Darfur region.
The African Union and United Nations Special Envoys for Darfur, Salim Ahmed Salim and Jan Eliasson, arrived in Khartoum on Sunday to begin a week-long mission aimed at providing fresh momentum to the Darfur Peace Process.
In a press statement issued upon their arrival in Khartoum, Salem said that the AU and the United Nations could help facilitate the peace process in Darfur.
“The parties involved in the conflict, however, should decide when to start the peace talks and to see to the success of the talks for the interest of the people in Darfur, Sudan and the region,” he was quoted by the statement as saying.
The Special Envoys will meet with Government of Sudan officials and representatives of the Movements in Darfur. During their visit, they will assess the parties’ commitment to the political process and urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to cease hostilities.
Salem hoped that the year of 2008 “should be a year for finding peace in Darfur.”
The AU envoy said that the Darfur rebel movements have been given time and would be given more to conduct and deepen their consultations among themselves in order to come and forge a common platform for the peace talks.
“We sincerely hope that they have used that time and now may be in a better position to engage not only with us but in the actual peace process,” Salem said.
He said that the parties concerned would be ready when the substantive negotiations begin.
“We are keen to have those negotiations begin as soon as possible but there is no point in insisting on having negotiations when the parties concerned have not get themselves ready,” he said.
He said the situation in Darfur was deteriorating every day and the people there continued to suffer, adding that the overall security situation in Sudan and particularly in Darfur had a detrimental effect for the region and for Africa as a whole.
“But I think as Africans, as international community we have vested interests in doing everything possible to expedite the process of negotiation so that a durable peace and justice could be achieved in Sudan,” he added.
The latest attempt of Darfur envoy to organize new round for peace talks between Khartoum and Darfur rebel groups had failed due to the lack of consultation with the main rebel groups. Also, Darfur movements rejected the choice of Libya as venue for the talks.
(ST)
Some information for this report provided by Xinhua