SOUTH AFRICA: Visiting Sudan President says financing of troops is hindering peacekeeping deployment in Darfur

Record ID: 452885

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: Visiting Sudan President says financing of troops is hindering peacekeeping deployment in Darfur
  • Date: 8th November 2007
  • Summary: (BN17) CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA (NOVEMBER 7, 2007) (REUTERS) JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE WITH SUDAN'S PRESIDENT OMAR EL-BASHIR AND SOUTH AFRICA'S PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI MEDIA LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SUDAN'S PRESIDENT OMAR HASSAN AL-BASHIR SAYING: "The issue of hybrid cooperation came as a result of the various agreements that we in fact negotiated between the government of Sudan, the AU (Africa Union) and the UN (United Nations). And I said that I know the agreement was going to be signed because all this that has happened as a result of different agreements concerning the financing of the hybrid force." SOUTH AFRICAN MINISTERS OF PARLIAMENT LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH AFRICA'S PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI SAYING: "So we have to go back to the people that made the pledges and ask them the question that you have just asked, why have you not honoured your promises?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH AFRICA'S PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI SAYING: "All of us share a common commitment for the speediest resolution of that conflict, for the earliest deployment of the AU/UN hybrid force, speediest conclusion of the political negotiations and the need indeed to ensure that these armed groups in Darfur respect the international opinion to participate in those peace talks. And indeed it was very distressing that some of them decided to stay away from the recent peace conference held in Libya, and would urge that the international community really does need to push that to make sure that everybody joins that process because this is a critical element to the solution of the conflict in Darfur. It's that agreement, essentially the Abuja peace agreement which has already concluded. We need in everybody else on board with regard to that." PRESS CONFERENCE ENDS, MBEKI AND BASHIR WALK AWAY
  • Embargoed: 23rd November 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAE2Q3TLAOEGXMJWWO3GG3F3AA7
  • Story Text: Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir said on Wednesday (November 7) he was ready for the deployment of African Union and United Nations forces in Darfur but funding remained an obstacle.
    Bashir spoke at a joint news conference with South African President Thabo Mbeki at the end of a state visit.
    After lengthy negotiations Khartoum agreed to allow the deployment of 26,000 United Nations and African Union troops to Darfur early next year to try to stem violence which AU troops alone have been unable to quell.
    But deployment of the hybrid force has been hampered by a dispute over its composition. Analysts have said western countries have also so far not delivered adequate funding and logistical support to the force.
    "We have to go back to the people that made the pledges and ask them the question you have just asked, why have you not honoured your promises?," Mbeki said at the news conference.
    Some 200,000 people have died since rebels took up arms in 2003 accusing the central government in Khartoum of neglect. Khartoum says its critics exaggerate the crisis and only 9,000 people have died.
    Darfur faces new challenges as a result of tribal battles and splintering rebel groups, which have complicated efforts to advance the world's largest humanitarian relief operation.
    A 2006 peace agreement signed in Abuja, Nigeria by only one rebel faction triggered more violence as rebels split into more than a dozen groups.
    Talks hosted by Libya on Oct. 27 ended quickly after three main rebel factions refused to participate.
    Mbeki expressed deep concern that all rebel groups have not taken part in peace talks.
    "It was very distressing that some of them decided to stay away from the recent peace conference held in Libya," he said.
    He urged the international community to push to make sure everyone joins the process to solve the conflict in Darfur.
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