AU-UN's Djibril Bassole meets URF Commander Bahar Idriss Abu Garda in Tripoli, Libya

From Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, 01 July 2009:

(Tripoli) – The joint AU-UN peace mediator, Djibril Bassole, met the leader of the United Resistance Front in Tripoli Libya on Monday. The meeting is part of an AU-UN attempt to encourage Darfur anti-government groups to negotiate with the Government of National Unity.

The leader of the URF, Bahar Idris Abu Garda, spoke to Sudan Radio Service on Tuesday from Tripoli.

[Bahar Idris Abu Garda]:“In this meeting we discussed with the joint mediator Djibril Bassole about how to create a united stand when we participate in peace talks with the government. And earlier this month, we in the URF visited Doha on the invitation of the Qatar mediators, we also met the joint mediator; we discussed how to encourage the Darfur anti-government groups to be involved in the peace talks with the government. Bassole also met with the brothers who had signed the Tripoli Agreement. So he came to meet with the URF and the Tripoli agreement group.”

Abu Garda also said that Bassole told him that the mediators want all the other Darfur anti-government groups to be included in the talks.

[Bahar Idris Abu Garda]: “The mediator explained to us how the on-going talks in Doha between JEM and GONU have been obstructed and delayed, he also confirmed that the international community wishes that the talks should be comprehensive, he confirmed as well that the Doha talks only concern the goodwill agreement.”

The leader of the URF Darfur anti-government group, Bahar Abu Garda, was speaking to Sudan Radio Service from Tripoli.

See Sudan Watch, 19 May 2009: ICC charges URF Commander Bahar Idriss Abu Garda with murder, directing attacks and pillaging