UN chief asks Ethiopia’s PM to play leading role in Sudan

By Tesfa Alem Tekle

February 1, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA) – Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, who was in Addis Ababa for the 14th African Union Summit, has asked the Ethiopian Prime minister Meles Zenawi to play a crucial role in efforts for peace in Sudan.

Along the sidelines of the AU Summit, in a separate meeting held at the Sheraton Hotel, Ban and Zenawi discussed political situation in Sudan, climate matters and other regional and international concerns.

After the talks, UN chief Ban Ki-Moon who commended the premier’ s leadership, told reporters that Sudan’s overall political situation and implementation of Copenhagen pledged climate change compensations to Africa are the major focus of attention.

“I have asked Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to exercise his leadership as leader of Africa Union and leader if IGAD to play a leading role in the implementation of Sudan’s Comprehensives Peace Agreement and the critical challenges coming ahead,” Mr. Ban said.

The UN chief lauded Zenawi’s competence as Africa’s lead negotiator demonstrated at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.

Meles on the occasion requested for a team of senior authorities to soon facilitate the financial and technical support pledged for African countries at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen.

Ban Ki-moon on his part said efforts are underway to set up a team that will facilitate for the implementation of the pledges and is a matter of time for going operational.

The Ethiopian Prime Minister and US Secretary General took part yesterday in a special on Sudan held on the sidelines of the African summit. The meeting discussed Darfur crisis and the looming risk of secession by south Sudan which is swelling fears of renewed war between the south and north.

“We’ve talked about the situation in Darfur where urgent action is needed, the question of referendum on self determination of the South, scheduled to take place in 2011, on the upcoming election which are major focus of attention.

“On this point, we’ve totally agreed to prepare from now on the post-referendum period”, Ban told a press conference.

Signed by the Sudanese government and the former rebel SPLM/A, the 2005 peace agreement brought an end to more than 20 years of war in the vast African nation, allowed the creation of a semi-autonomous government in the south and paved the way for April’s general elections, and a referendum of self determination for the Southern Sudan.

(ST)