French parliamentary delegation visits Darfur

July 7, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — A French parliamentary delegation visited today the capital of North Darfur state for talks with state officials, the joint peacekeeping mission and displaced camps.

Since last January, the foreign affairs committee at the French National Assembly charged MP Serge Janquin, the Chairman of the Parliamentary group of French-Sudanese friendship and MP Patrick Labaune to prepare a report about the political situation in the country and Darfur particularly.

Accompanied by the French Ambassador to Sudan, the delegation met with UNAMID chief Mr. Rodolphe Adada, who briefed them on the work of the peacekeeping mission and the general security situation in Darfur, which he described as “calm but unpredictable.”

Adada urged the France and the international community as a whole, to do everything possible to push forward the peace process. He reaffirmed that UNAMID would continue its efforts to create an environment conducive to the success of the peace process.

In Khartoum, the delegation met with different Sudanese government officials who urged France to press the Paris based SLM leader Abdel Wahid Al-Nur to join the peace process in Doha. Also they requested the French authorities to ease the current tension between Sudan and Chad.

The delegation, after Darfur three states, is expected to visit Juba in the upcoming days to meet with the officials of the southern Sudan government.

The French delegation visited earlier Chad, Qatar, and Addis Ababa where they met Chadian and Qatari officials as well as the Joint Chief Mediator for Darfur, Mr. Djibril Bassolé, and the African Union Commission Chairperson, Mr. Jean Ping.

The delegation plans to submit its report to the French parliament in October.

(ST)