Italian special envoy visits UNAMID, Deputy Governor of N. Darfur and Zam Zam camp

UNAMID DAILY MEDIA BRIEF
EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, May 6, 2009 via APO:

Italian special envoy visit to UNAMID

The Italian Special Envoy for Humanitarian Emergencies and Vulnerable Situations, Mrs. Margherita Boniver, today paid a one-day visit to El Fasher, North Darfur. The Special Envoy and her delegation were met at the airport by UNAMID senior officials.

Mrs. Boniver and her delegation were received by UNAMID Joint Special Representative, Mr. Rodolphe Adada who briefed them on the security, humanitarian and political situation in Darfur. They were also briefed on the status of UNAMID and on its deployment, achievements and challenges. Mr. Adada expressed appreciation to the Italian Government and the European Union for their support to UNAMID.

Mrs. Boniver said this was her third visit to Darfur since 2004, and noted that the situation had changed, that the worst was over and there was much better cooperation and coordination between the UN Agencies and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), “things are moving forward, UNAMID is an enormous success in Darfur,” she added. She thanked UNAMID for assisting the Italian INGOs working in the region and for a great job done on the ground.

The delegation also paid a courtesy call to the Deputy Wali (Governor) of North Darfur, Mr. Idris Abdallah Hassan; who also briefed them on the security and humanitarian situation in the region. The Deputy Wali reiterated his government’s commitment to the peace process and urged all parties to participate in the ongoing Doha initiative, as the problem of Darfur cannot be solved through violence.

Mrs. Margherita Boniver explained that the purpose of her visit was to assess the work of the Italian Non-Governmental Organizations working in North Darfur. She reiterated her Government’s commitment to the respect for human rights and hope that a comprehensive agreement would be reached soon.

The delegation visited Zam Zam Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp where they had a meeting with the Omdas, Sheikhs (traditional leaders) as well as tribal leaders of the camp. They also had a meeting with COOPI, an Italian INGO and representatives of INGOs and of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) operating in North Darfur.