UNAMID leaders meet US diplomat in Khartoum
March 16, 2009 (WASHINGTON) – The top US diplomat in Sudan, Chargé d’Affaires Alberto Fernandez, met with UNAMID Joint Special Representative Rodolphe Adada, Force Commander Martin Luther Agwai and other senior officials today at the Embassy of the United States in the Sudan.
Last week the US State Department allowed its non-essential staff to leave the country. The US has given no indication that it will respond in any way to the expulsion of 13 foreign aid groups on March 4 by the Government of Sudan, but it has voiced concern.
According to the State Department Spokesman Robert Wood, Fernandez today journeyed to Darfur, apparently after the meetings with UNAMID. The US has been engaging in quiet diplomacy with China and regional stake-holders while its diplomat in Khartoum sought audiences with Sudanese officials, reportedly to address the humanitarian situation.
Adada briefed the US delegation on the general situation including the status of UNAMID as well as developments in the humanitarian effort, according to a statement from the peacekeeping mission. The delegations also discussed the cooperation between the United Nations and the Government of Sudan to fill gaps left by the expelled aid agencies.
Currently a joint assessment of the humanitarian situation is being conducted by the UN and the government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission.
The US delegation also met with UNAMID Force Commander General Martin Luther Agwai, who appealed for “the critical operational need for reconnaissance and troop transport,” a reference to helicopters that the United States or any other country has declined to provide.
The general said the said 64% of his troops were deployed but the percentage of the equipment he needed was much lower. “He pointed out that out of 12 battalions on the ground; only one has received 90% of its equipment,” said UNAMID.
The UN-African Union hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID) reports that the security situation in Darfur is calm. Though there have been attacks on peacekeepers and aid workers, there has been no major military activity in Darfur reported since the International Criminal Court indictment of Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir.
(ST)