By NNN-SUNA
Khartoum : Sudan has called on United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to keep up with his endeavours to provide financial and logistic support to the peacekeeping operations in Darfur to avoid weakening the African troops there during the transition period because of the lacking of funds.
In this connection, Sudanese Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Al-Samani al-Wasilla al-Sheikh appealed Sunday to the international community to shoulder this responsibility more seriously.
The minister called on the Secretary General to begin an organized and quick programme to muster the necessary funds and logistics support. He also called on those responsible for peacekeeping operations to implement the operation transparently and in total harmony with regard to the formation, funding and equipping of the troops.
Sudan reiterated its commitment to the deployment of the hybrid operation in Darfur so that the African Union (AU) will have the pioneering role in the work of keeping security, peace and co-operation in the region.
Speaking at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the minister said Sudan wanted the AU to play its role as stipulated by the charter of the United Nations.
He refuted accusations against Sudan of obstructing the peacekeeping operations, saying this gave negative signals, pointing that the best place to discuss for this is the tripartite mechanism that comprises Sudan, the UN and the AU.
He called on UN officials to put the correct picture before the Secretary-General, citing as proof what was said by the current President of the Security Council, who is the Permanent Representative to the UN of Italy, that Sudan should not be blamed as it has implemented 97 per cent of its commitments towards the hybrid UN-AU peacekeeping operations.