Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa has said the Arab League needs to work closely with the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) to protect the fragile peace process in the Sudan.
Moussa spoke while briefing the AU-UN Joint Special Representative for Darfur, Rodolphe Adada, on his consultations with President Omar el-Bashir and top Sudanese officials concerning the Arab League’s initiative to resolve the crisis resulting from the indictment against the Sudanese President by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Moussa’s visit to Sudan was a follow up to the emergency meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers in Cairo last week on the indictment.
Adada reassured Moussa that the AU-UN Joint Mission was determined to carry out its operation in Darfur, despite recent attacks against its forces.
He informed the Arab League Secretary General that the relocation of non-essential civilian staff had ceased and that field patrols, intended to offer protection to the civilian population, were ongoing.
Adada also provided an update on the status of deployment of the UNAMID troops, saying that Chinese troops were deployed last week, while additional Ethiopian and Egyptian battalions were expected by the end of the month.
The new troops will strengthen the current forces and will help UNAMID address issues relating to the deteriorating security conditions and the protection of civilians.
Speaking to journalists later, Adada reaffirmed the independence of the ICC and stressed that the mandate of UNAMID was totally separate from that of the ICC.
Adada also told reporters that the Mission would lend support to the new AU/UN Chief Mediator for Darfur, Djibril Yipènè Bassolé, who is expected to start his term of office on 1 August.
PANAPRESS
