By NNN-SUNA
Addis Ababa : A technical consultative meeting involving the Sudanese government, the United Nations and the African Union (AU) was held here Sunday to discuss ways to complete elements of the UN-AU hybrid peacekeeping operation in Darfur.
The meeting, which also discussed the required arrangements for implementation of the operation in the time fixed was attended by delegations of the three parties headed by the Undersecretary of the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Mutrif Siddiq, UN Under-Secretary General for Peacekeeping Jean-Marie Guehenno and AU Peace and Security Council Commissioner Saeed Djinnit.
It was also attended by the UN-AU Joint Special Representative for Darfur, Rodolphe Adada, and the UNAMID Force Commander, General Martin Luther Agwai.
In a press statement to SUNA, Sudan’s Envoy to the United Nations, Abdul-Mahmoud Abdul-Halim, said the meeting appreciated the co-operation shown by the Sudanese government and the state authorities in Darfur concerning the implementation of the hybrid operation.
He added that the meeting was informed on the implementation of the hybrid operation and the efforts made so far for its success.
Abdul-Halim said the tripartite consultative meeting also reviewed pending issues pertinent to the bases for existence of the hybrid operation troops in Sudanese territory and the operation’s action plan.
He said the meeting between President Omer Al-Bashir and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on the sidelines of the coming AU Summit in Addis Ababa would discuss in detail the issue of the hybrid operation and other matters related to the Darfur issue.
These issues would include the political track, which also covered the political negotiations and the efforts of the UN and the AU in this regard, the track of peace-keeping and deployment of troops, the track of the Sudanese government’s efforts to convey humanitarian aid to the needy citizens and the fourth track of rehabilitation and development.
Referring to the shortage of helicopters and planes and transport for the hybrid operation, Abdul-Halim said this issue concerned the United Nations and the international community and posed a hindrance to implementation of plans of the hybrid operation.
He renewed Sudan’s commitment to fulfill all its obligations for completion of the hybrid operation and indicated that the coming AU summit would be decisive on a number of pending issues and files in its agenda.
Abdul-Halim pointed out that Sudan would work through its participation in the coming AU summit to boost the old initiatives to realize peace and political and economic progress and to complete implementation of development programmes.
He said that the summit provided an important opportunity for Sudan to conduct consultations with the UN and the AU toward supporting the trend for political solution to the Darfur issue.
He stated that Sudan was able to accomplish several tasks within a short period, despite the accusation of shortcomings on its part that was raised by some circles.
Abdul-Halim said Sudan had put all issues on the right track through its dealing with the AU and the international community and its keenness to implement decisions and the signed agreements of south Sudan and Darfur region.