UN criticize Darfur rebels link between trials, talks – report

KHARTOUM, Mar 15, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) — The UN has described the conditions set by the armed movements in Darfur before taking part in the peace talks with the government as unrealistic and contrary to the interests of the region, urging them to return to the negotiation table without preconditions.

The spokesperson for the United Nations advance mission in the Sudan, Radhia Achouri.

Reacting to Darfur rebels’ precondition that the Darfur war crimes suspects must be arraigned before an international court before the resumption of the talks with the government, the spokesperson for UN envoy to Sudan, Radhia Achouri, said such a measure could only be ordered by the UN Security Council.

In a statement to the Khartoum based Al-Sahafah, she said the international community was confident that justice would finally be done. She affirmed, however, that the UN was not happy with the precondition that the process of trying the Darfur suspects must commence before the resumption of the negotiations, because any precondition, she continued, would not be in the interest of the current peace efforts.

Achouri said the UN was surprised by the rebels’ conditions at their recent talks with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative in Sudan Jan Pronk in Asmara.

She said Pronk made it clear to the rebels at the talks that they should show seriousness at the next round of talks by sending a high-level delegation.

As Pronk was asking the rebels that the next round of talks should lead to an outline of the way the political negotiations should proceed, they surprised him with their demand that the trials must be started before the resumption of any negotiations.

Despite the fact that Achouri’s assertions that the UN was committed to the prosecution of suspects, she described the rebels’ demands as unrealistic and running against the peace process in Darfur. She also described their demand as a great hurdle that would jeopardize the progress of future negotiations.

Meanwhile, Achouri described the security situation in West Darfur State as unstable. The reasons why, she added, the UN and other humanitarian agencies had to pull out their personnel to the state capital, El Geneina.

Material provided by the BBC Monitoring Service.