UNAMID chief, Darfur rebel leader meet in Kampala

March 22, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Joint Special Representative Ibrahim Gambari met yesterday evening in the Ugandan capital with the Chairman of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), Abdel Wahid Al-Nur hours after announcing the cancellation of the meeting.

The SLM told Sudan Tribune that the meeting had been cancelled due to some technical reasons related to the arrival of the rebel leader to Nairobi, and reiterated that they will to fix another date for the reunion.

However Gambari and Nur held the meeting on Monday evening after the peacekeeping mission through its liaison office in Kampala managed to obtain he needed permission from the Ugandan authorities for the meeting, Sudan Tribune has learnt.

The rebel group and the peacekeeping operation discussed ways to cooperate in the areas of humanitarian access to the rebel controlled zones in the restive region. Also they agreed on the need to provide security for the civilians in Darfur.

Gambari met President Omer Al-Bashir in Khartoum Monday before to fly to the Ugandan capital. After the meeting, he told reporters that they discussed the security situation and the developments of the political process in Darfur.

(ST)