New Russian envoy to discuss Darfur and ICC in Sudan

January 23, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The newly appointed, Russian envoy to Sudan will arrive to Khartoum on Saturday for talks on Darfur peace efforts and the Indictment of the Sudanese president by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Last December the President Dmitry Medvedev appointed the speaker of the upper house of the Russian parliament, Mikhail Margelov as special envoy to Sudan. Margelov also heads the Federation Council’s Committee for International Affairs.

Margelov will visit the war torn province of Darfur where more than 300 thousands are killed during the six years of conflict, also will visit Juba, the capital of the semi-autonomous government of southern Sudan and will meet the President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.

The appointment of the new envoy follows a visit by Sudan’s defense minister Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein to Moscow last November in which he invited Russian companies to invest in his country including the oil sector.

At the time, Margelov speaking to state media said that Sudanese authorities confirmed they could offer Russian companies engaged in the oil sector and railway construction in Sudan benefits to develop bilateral economic ties.

ICC judges are expected to issue a decision in the coming weeks on a request of arrest warrant for President Omer Al-Bashir. The chief prosecutor of the world court on July 14 indicted Al-Bashir of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

(ST)