US special envoy discusses UNAMID deployment with Sudanese officials
October 8, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – The US special envoy Richard Williamson met today with officials in Khartoum amid reports of receiving a cool reception.
Ali Al-Sadiq, foreign ministry spokesperson told reporters that Nafi expressed his country’s gratitude for US help in airlifting Egyptian, Ethiopian and Rwandan peacekeeping troops to Darfur as part of UNAMID.
The spokesperson said both sides discussed bilateral relations and that the US official mentioned that they want to see change on the ground in Darfur. He also expressed Sudan’s willingness to see development of ties with the US.
Williamson was quoted as saying that Washington wants to see concrete progress and that they “don’t care for promises”. He further said that he is looking forward for more dialogue with the government of national unity (GoNU).
The US official said that during the talks he held in Khartoum there were both agreements and disagreements in the points raised.
Williamson met yesterday with the President of the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) Salva Kiir in Juba. It is the first time that the US envoy had kick-started his visit in the South rather than in Khartoum.
The daily Akhbar-Alyoum newspaper reported that Sudanese officials have refused to meet with Williamson upon his arrival but did not provide a reason.
Last weekend an unidentified senior US State Department official told the daily Ajras Al-Hurriya that Khartoum initially revoked Williamson’s visa to Sudan but reversed its decision after pressure from Washington.
A letter was sent to Williamson saying that he “is not welcome to visit at the present time”.
The state department official said Williamson’s stance on deferring the indictment of Sudan president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court (ICC) angered Khartoum.
In a meeting between Sudan 2nd Vice President Ali Osman Taha, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Williamson last month, Sudan demanded Washington’s help to invoke Article 16 which allows the UN Security Council (UNSC) to suspend the ICC prosecutions in any case for a period of 12 months that can be renewed indefinitely.
But Taha was told that US will not allow the deferral and warned Khartoum no to interfere with international justice, the State department official said.
In mid-July the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced that he is seeking an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir.
The ICC’s prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo filed 10 charges: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder. It was only last week that judges have started reviewing the case in a process that could possibly drag on to next year.
Sudan has been lobbying for a deferral particularly among the permanent members of the UNSC.
UK and France appeared leaning towards supporting an Article 16 resolution if Sudan makes concessions with regards to Darfur but the US took a tougher stance by threatening to use its veto power.
Last month Williamson made the position public at a hearing of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.
“If asked—if forced to vote today—the United States, even if it was 191 countries against one, would veto an Article 16 [resolution],” Ambassador Richard Williamson said.
(ST)