- Title: USA: COLIN POWELL 'DISSATISFIED' WITH SECURITY SITUATION IN DARFUR.
- Date: 21st July 2004
- Summary: (W1) WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (JULY 20, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE SHOT OF U.S SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL APPROACHING MICROPHONE WITH SERBIAN PRESIDENT BORIS TADIC 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL SAYING: "On Sunday I also spoke to the Vice-President of Sudan and the foreign minister of Sudan, and while I took note of some marginal improvement, in the humanitarian side, I also pointed out to them as clearly as I could, that I, the President and the international community remain completely dissatisfied with the security situation. Not enough is being done to break the hold of the Jinjaweed. rapes are still occurring, people do not feel safe leaving the camps to go out and forage for food. The situation remains very, very serious and first and foremost, the security has to be dealt with." 3. WIDE SHOT OF MEDIA 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL SAYING: "Well it is chaotic there at the moment, and all we can do is follow it and see how the Palestinians resolve this problem. As you know, we have said all along that reform is needed in the Palestinian community - that we need an empowered Palestinian leader, someone who would have control over all of the security forces and over all instruments of government. That has not yet happened, as you saw with Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas unable to get that control and he stepped down last year, and Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia in his resignation clearly is indicating that he needs the authority to do his job, so it is up to the Palestinian people and leaders to determine how they wish to move forward. We believe the correct path forward involves Mr Arafat yielding power - real, executive power - to the Prime Minister for that prime Minister to do what is needed for the Palestinian community, and when that happens we can start on a roadmap, we can deal with not only the security problems but the economic problems that are afflicting the Palestinian people." 5. WIDE SHOT OF MEDIA 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SERBIAN PRESIDENT BORIS TADIC SAYING:"This plan is a very good framework for solving the final solution of Kosovo. The situation in Kosovo is very fragile after ethnic cleansing. I have to say it was very helpful, the role of Admiral Gregory Johnson, and I appreciate his role in that moment. We have to co-operate, Serbian - Montenegro full membership in European-Atlantic structure in the future are pre-conditions to security problems in the Balkans region, including Kosovo. We care about that, and we want to do everything that we can right now to provide security for the Serbian minority in Kosovo." 7. U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL AND SERBIAN PRESIDENT BORIS TADIC SHAKING HANDS AND EXITING PODIUM AREA Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 5th August 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: WASHNGTON D.C., UNITED STATES
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA4S9SJI5RT65275XVK5OVVFIW2
- Story Text: Powell 'completely dissatisfied' with security
situation in Darfur
U.S. Secretary of State has said he remains
"completely dissatisfied" with the security situation in
Darfur, Sudan. Speaking to reporters outside the State
Department in Washington D.C. (July 20) Powell said he has
only noticed marginal improvement in the region since his
recent visit. He told reporters "I spoke to the
Vice-President of Sudan and the foreign minister of Sudan,
and while I took note of some marginal improvement, in the
humanitarian side, I also pointed out to them as clearly as
I could, that I, the President and the international
community remain completely dissatisfied with the security
situation. Not enough is being done to break the hold of
the Jinjaweed. Rapes are still occurring, people do not
feel safe leaving the camps to go out and forage for food.
The situation remains very, very serious and first and
foremost, the security has to be dealt with."
Powell addressed reporters after talks with Serbian Prime
Minister Boris Tadic, who was urged by the Secretary to do
everything possible to bring top Bosnian Serb war crimes
fugitive Ratko Mladic to justice in the International
Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia in the Hague. Tadic
acknowledged that this is a very important step in bringing
political stability to Serbia.
Powell was also asked by reporters about the current
leadership crisis in Gaza, with Palestinian Prime Minister
Ahmed Qurei tendering his resignation several days ago in a
dispute over who should run the security and intelligence
services. Powell maintains that Yasser Arafat must give the
Prime Minister real, executive power to the Prime Minister
in order for him to carry out his role in the appropriate
way. Powell said "Well it is chaotic there at the moment,
and all we can do is follow it and see how the Palestinians
resolve this problem. As you know, we have said all along
that reform is needed in the Palestinian community - that
we need an empowered Palestinian leader, someone who would
have control over all of the security forces and over all
instruments of government. That has not yet happened, as
you saw with Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas unable to get
that control and he stepped down last year, and Prime
Minister Ahmed Qureia in his resignation clearly is
indicating that he needs the authority to do his job, so
it is up to the Palestinian people and leaders to determine
how they wish to move forward. We believe the correct path
forward involves Mr Arafat yielding power - real, executive
power - to the Prime Minister for that prime Minister to
do what is needed for the Palestinian community, and when
that happens we can start on a roadmap, we can deal with
not only the security problems but the economic problems
that are afflicting the Palestinian people."
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