Consultative meeting on Darfur peace strategy in Khartoum, Sudan August 26, 2010 - AU and UN Sudan Consultative Forum in Khartoum July 17, 2010

(L to R) U.S. special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration, Ghazi Salah Eldin, presidential adviser in charge of Darfur file, former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki, head of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel and joint special representative of U.N.-African Union peacekeepers in Darfur (UNAMID) Ibrahim Gambari attend the Consultative meeting on Darfur peace strategy in Khartoum Thursday, 26 August 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)



Former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki (L), head of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel speaks next to joint special representative of U.N.-African Union peacekeepers in Darfur (UNAMID) Ibrahim Gambari during the Consultative meeting on Darfur peace strategy in Khartoum August 26, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abd)



U.S. special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration (R) and Joint special representative of U.N.-African Union peacekeepers in Darfur (UNAMID) Ibrahim Gambari arrive for the Consultative meeting on Darfur peace strategy in Khartoum Thursday, 26 August 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)



Joint special representative of U.N.-African Union peacekeepers in Darfur (UNAMID) Ibrahim Gambari talks to the United Kingdom's Special Envoy to Sudan Michael Ryder (L) and British ambassador to Sudan Nicholas Kay (R) during the Consultative meeting on Darfur peace strategy in Khartoum Thursday, 26 August 2010. (Reuters)



U.S. special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration (R) talks to the United Kingdom's Special Envoy to Sudan Michael Ryder (L) and British ambassador to Sudan Nicholas Kay (C) during the Consultative meeting on Darfur peace strategy in Khartoum Thursday, 26 August 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)



U.S. special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration (L) talks to Ghazi Salah Eldin, presidential adviser in charge of Darfur file, at the Consultative meeting on Darfur peace strategy in Khartoum Thursday, 26 August 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

UNAMID JSR Attends Consultative Meeting on Darfur Peace Strategy
Source: United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
Date: Thursday, 26 August 2010
UNAMID PR / 33- 2010

Khartoum, 26 August 2010 – The Joint Special Representative (JSR) of the AU-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), Professor Ibrahim Gambari today attended a Consultative Meeting on Darfur Peace Strategy with Sudanese Presidential Advisor, Dr. Ghazi Salahuddin Atabani; Chairman of the AU High Level Implementation Panel, Thabo Mbeki, and US Special Envoy for Sudan, Scott Gration.

The participants underlined the necessity of having a comprehensive strategy that would encompass all aspects of the Darfur problem, including security, stabilization, development and early recovery.

The meeting agreed that UNAMID and the Government of Sudan (GoS) would cooperate closely to improve the security situation in Darfur and conduct joint action to ensure stabilization and development in the whole region.

The meeting also discussed the GoS Darfur Security Strategy/Plan along with the draft US Security and Stabilization Initiative for Darfur.

JSR Gambari expressed his satisfaction over the strategy saying he would look forward for cooperation between UNAMID and GoS Police and military forces to ensure the security of Darfur.

The JSR also emphasized UNAMID's commitment to support early recovery and development in the region.

"UNAMID will be supporting recovery programs in close consultation and coordination with the UN Country Team," Professor Gambari remarked.

Mr. Mbeki referred to the necessity of involving the Darfurian people in the peace process and its negotiations, expressing his expectation to have a peace deal concluded before the end of this year.

Also present at the meeting was UNAMID's Deputy JSR for Operations and Management, Mohamed Yonis; Force Commander, Lieutenant General Patrick Nyamvumba; and Police Commissioner, James Oppong-Boanuh.

Communication and Public Information Division Media Contacts

Kemal Saïki, Director; saiki@un.org; tel.: +249 (0) 92 244 3529; mobile: +249 (0) 92 241 0020
Chris Cycmanick, Officer-in-Charge, Media Relations; cycmanick@un.org, mobile: +249 (0) 91 253 8436

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AU and UN Sudan Consultative Forum in Khartoum July 17, 2010



The opening session of the A.U. and U.N. Sudan Consultative Forum is pictured in Khartoum July 17, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah - Sat Jul 17, 2010; 9:26 AM ET)



U.N. Under Secretary General for Peace Keeping Operations Alain Le Roy (L), Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union Ramtane Lamamra and former South African president Thabo Mbeki (R) attend the opening session of the A.U. and U.N. Sudan Consultative Forum in Khartoum July 17, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah - Sat Jul 17, 2010; 9:18 AM ET)



Chinese special envoy to Darfur Liu Guijin (L) attends the opening session of the A.U. and U.N. Sudan Consultative Forum in Khartoum July 17, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)



Former South African president Thabo Mbeki (L) arrives to the opening session of the A.U. and U.N. Sudan Consultative Forum in Khartoum July 17, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah - Sat Jul 17, 2010; 9:01 AM ET)



U.S. presidential special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration (L) talks to the Chinese special envoy to Darfur Liu Guijin before the opening session of the A.U. and U.N. Sudan Consultative Forum in Khartoum July 17, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah - Sat Jul 17, 2010; 8:59 AM ET)



U.S. presidential special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration arrives to attend the opening session of the A.U. and U.N. Sudan Consultative Forum in Khartoum July 17, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)



Kamal Hassan (L) from the National Congress Party and Loka Byong from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) attend the opening session of the A.U. and U.N. Sudan Consultative Forum in Khartoum July 17, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah - Sat Jul 17, 2010; 9:09 AM ET)



Britain's new minister for Africa Henry Bellingham speaks during his meeting with Sudanese officials in Khartoum July 26, 2010. Britain wants to trade more with Sudan. On his first official visit to Sudan, Bellingham said Britain's new government sought to encourage companies to invest more in Sudan, particularly in its oil and services sectors. (Reuters/Mohamed Nurdldin Abdalla - Mon Jul 26, 2010; 2:28 PM ET)

Sudanese govt has given Darfur rebels until 5 April to sign final peace agreement

US Envoy Holds Crisis Meetings in Khartoum to Keep Elections on Schedule
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Friday, 02 April 2010:

2 April 2010 (Khartoum) - The US Special Envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, has held a second day of emergency meetings in Khartoum with officials from the NCP, the SPLM and other major political parties.

The meetings are an attempt to prevent the collapse of the elections after a coalition of opposition parties announced they are to boycott the polls.

Most of the major parties have withdrawn from the presidential elections and some groups have also pulled out of the parliamentary and municipal polls.

Several key parties in the north are also considering a total boycott.

Addressing a press conference after his meeting with Gration in Khartoum on Thursday, the advisor to the president, Dr. Ghazi Salah al-Din, said that the US administration is eager to see the elections proceed as scheduled.

[Dr. Ghazi Salah al-Din]:“The US administration emphasized their position about conducting the elections on schedule because it is one of the provisions in the CPA. Gration is here in Sudan to examine the situation and to listen to different views to ensure that the election is conducted on time, and how they can solve some of the issues raised by the opposition parties’ threat to boycott. That’s why Gration is in communication with various groups, to evaluate the situation and to help if necessary.”

Ghazi, who is also a member of the government delegation to the Darfur peace negotiations in Doha, reiterated his government’s commitment to finding a lasting peace in Darfur.

[Dr. Ghazi Salah al-Din]: “The government is committed to the peace process but of course after the elections there will be a new government and new polices. If we reach the final peace agreement before the elections, that will be a great achievement but if we don’t then we will leave it to the new government to see how they deal with the situation.”

The government has given the Darfur anti-government groups until 5 April to sign the final peace agreement.

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Umma party says if its terms are not met by Tuesday 6 April it will boycott presidential, parliamentary and state polls

Sudan:- Umma opposition party gives Bashir ultimatum
From BBC News online, Friday, 02 April 2010 - extract:

Photo: If Sadiq al-Mahdi's party boycotts the polls, the vote will be discredited

A key northern opposition party in Sudan has issued an ultimatum to President Omar al-Bashir to ensure free and fair elections this month. Ex-Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi's Umma party says if its terms are not met by Tuesday it will boycott presidential, parliamentary and state polls. Its eight conditions include a delay of four weeks for a new body to supervise the election commission to be set up.

The Umma ultimatum came after Mr Mahdi had met with the US special envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration.

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News from SRS on 02-Apr-2010

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• Raiders Kill Cattle Keeper and Steal 800 Cows
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US Congressman Keith Ellison met with Taha, Nafi, Eddin, Ismail re CPA, Abyei, Darfur, shaky bilateral relations & lifting of US sanctions on Sudan

From Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan, Washington D.C., Friday 07 Aug. 2009 - US Congressman discusses Sudan peace implementation and Darfur process (ST):

The visiting US Congressman Keith Ellison today held talks with the Sudanese officials on the implementation of 2005 peace agreement and the ongoing efforts to settle Darfur crisis.

Ellison, who is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, met on Wednesday with the Vice President Ali Osman Taha, Presidential Assistant Nafi Ali Nafi and Presidential Adviser, Ghazi Salah Eddin who is in charge of US relations and Darfur file.

During a meeting with Vice President Taha, the Congressman discussed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the recent Abyei arbitration ruling. They also discussed the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Meanwhile, the visiting lawmaker was briefed by Mr. Nafi on efforts conducted by the government since Abuja peace agreement to end the armed conflict in Darfur. The meeting was also attended by the Presidential Adviser Mustafa Osman Ismail.

Before his departure, Ellison said he would discuss the humanitarian situation in Darfur. He had been arrested last April in a protest in front of the Sudanese Embassy in Washington against the expulsion of 13 aid groups from Sudan last March.

With, Mr. Ghazi Salah Eddin, the talks where focused on the shaky bilateral relations and the lift of US economic sanctions.

(Hat tip: ISRIA)



Photo: Sudan’s VP Ali Osman Taha meets with US Congressman Keith Ellison in Khartoum, on August 5, 2009 (photo SUNA) Source: Sudan Tribune, 06 August 2009 - US Congressman discusses Sudan peace implementation and Darfur process
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From Sudan Tribune, Friday 07 August 2009 04:10:
Lawmaker reaffirms US commitment to end Darfur crisis

August 6, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — US Congressman Keith Ellison paid a one-day visit to North Darfur state on Thursday where he reiterated United States determination to support efforts to end the six year conflict in the war ravaged region.

Ellison met today with the state deputy governor, the head of Darfur peacekeeping mission, representatives of humanitarian agencies and visited Zam Zam Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp, about 14 kilometers south of El-Fasher.

In El Fasher where are the headquarters of the UNAMID, the Joint Special Representative, Union Rodolphe Adada briefed the visiting US lawmaker on progress made with regard to the mission’s deployment, as well as the political, humanitarian, human rights and security situation in Darfur.

During the meeting with UNAMID officials, the U.S. congressman pointed out that the issue of Darfur was one with which the U.S. Congress was very concerned and in which it continued to be engaged, adding that his visit was an attempt to assess the situation on the ground in Darfur.

The visit of the Democrat Congressman is seen by Khartoum as an opportunity to convince more US legislators that Khartoum is exerting the needed efforts to settle the conflict and protect the IDPs as well as to encourage their voluntary return.

Sudan seeks to normalize ties with Washington and to end the economic sanctions imposed since 1993.

Adada in his remarks outlined the overall role of the UNAMIS in the ongoing peace process. "UNAMID has been growing to become the authoritative voice of peace in Darfur," he said, adding that the presence of the mission had been, "acting as a deterrent from violence."

There had been a noticeable decrease in the number of people killed over the past month, "but one life lost is too many," Adada further said.

The meeting also discussed the next year elections and its effects in Darfur, including challenges to the voter registration exercise scheduled for November.

Speaking in a meeting with deputy governor, Idriss Abdallah Hassan, Ellison praised the cooperation between Sudanese government and the joint mission adding it led to the stabilization of the IDPs communities

"I convey the commitment of the U.S. administration and its efforts to develop relations with Sudan, through mutual respect, as stated by President Obama.

Furthermore, he used the opportunity to visit Zam Zam internally-displaced-persons (IDP) camp about 14 kilometers south of El Fasher.

Ellison, who is also a member of the house committee for foreign relations, arrived in Khartoum on Tuesday evening for a visit in the African country to get updated with the situation in Darfur and the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between northern and southern Sudan.

He will also inquire into the progress being made towards the CPA implementation durng talks he should hold with the southern Sudan semi-autonomous government in Juba.

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Democracy cartoon: Obama comes to Africa



Source: Friday, July 10, 2009, Patrick Gathara, www.afrika.no
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US secretary of state Hillary Clinton’s tour of seven African nations ends on 13 August 2009 after visits to Kenya, South Africa, Angola, the DRC, Nigeria, Liberia and Cape Verde

From Sudan Radio Service, Friday 07 August 2009:
Clinton Highlights Africa's Potential but Warns Against Corruption

(Nairobi) – During her visit to Kenya earlier this week, the US secretary of state Hillary Clinton described Africa as having the potential and the resources to compete in the world economy.

In a speech from the Kenyan capital Nairobi, Clinton urged African countries to create markets with each other rather than focus on trading with first world countries.

[Hillary Clinton]: “Africa is capable and is making economic progress. In fact, one doesn’t have to look far to see that Africa is ripe with opportunities. The single biggest opportunity that you have right now is to open up trade with each other. The market of the United States is 3 hundred million people; the market of Africa is 7 hundred million plus people. Nations of Africa trade the least with each other than any region of the world. That makes it very difficult to compete effectively.”

However, Hillary Clinton has attributed the lack of economic progress in Africa to the failure by various governments to attract investors through stability.

[Hillary Clinton]: “It's not just about good governance, this is about good business. Investors will be attracted to states that do this and they will not be attracted to states with failed or weak leadership, or crime and civil unrest, or corruption that taints every transaction and decision.”

Clinton called on African states to reform their countries by ending bad governance, corruption and impunity. She encouraged government to ensure that the private sector and civil society organizations abiding by the rule of law.

Clinton’s tour of seven African nations ends on August 13th after visits to Kenya, South Africa, Angola, the DRC, Nigeria, Liberia and Cape Verde.