US urges coordination between Qatar and joint mediator on Darfur
November 11, 2008 (DOHA) – A senior US official today welcomed the Qatari imitative to mediate between the warring parties in Darfur but stressed that it must be carried in conjunction with African Union(AU) -UN chief mediator.
The Qatari news agency said that Williamson “expressed appreciation” to efforts led by Doha “in coordination with the AU-UN Joint Chief Mediator Djibril Bassole”.
Washington has previously shown lack of enthusiasm to the Qatari initiative and a Sudanese one fearing that duplication of efforts on Darfur could lead to scatter it in different directions.
The top US diplomat for African affairs Jendayi Frazer is believed to have conveyed this message during her meetings with Sudanese officials in Khartoum earlier this month.
“We have always, from the beginning, supported Bassole,” a US diplomat who requested not to be identified by name told Sudan Tribune. “That has not changed at all, and certainly that will be Jendayi Frazer’s message to him too, reaffirming that support.”
“We don’t want these competing initiatives, which is why Bassole is there in the first place. Everything should fall under his authority—that’s what he was appointed to do,” added the diplomat.
“From our perspective the most important thing is that Bassole is at the helm,” said the official.
The Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa is scheduled to arrive in Qatar next Friday to set a date for the Arab-African joint committee on Darfur peace efforts.
UN experts estimate some 300,000 people have died and 2.5 million driven from their homes. Sudan blames the Western media for exaggerating the conflict and puts the death toll at 10,000.
(ST)