Two senior United Nations officials arrived in Sudan on Tuesday to discuss the planned deployment of peacekeepers from the world body in the war-torn western region of Darfur.
The envoys “will discuss the UN resolution on Darfur with the Sudanese authorities, more specifically the issue of a UN troop deployment”, UN spokesperson Bahaa Elhoussy told Agence France-Presse.
The two envoys are Lakhdar Brahimi, a former Algerian foreign minister who has been dispatched by the UN to several hotspots in recent years, and Hedi Annabi, the deputy undersecretary general for peacekeeping operations.
The UN Security Council on May 16 unanimously approved a binding resolution urging speedy implementation of a peace accord between the government and the main rebel group in Darfur, aimed at ending three years of conflict and threatening “strong and effective measures” against anyone standing in the way.
The 15-member body also called for the deployment of a joint African Union-UN technical assessment team “within one week of the adoption of this resolution” to lay the groundwork for a handover of the AU peacekeeping mission to the UN.
Brahimi and Annabi are expected to press President Omar al-Beshir to allow UN military planners into Darfur.
Beshir’s regime has not yet officially accepted a UN deployment on its territory, but senior officials have signalled that Khartoum is willing to be flexible on the issue.
Two smaller rebel factions declined to sign the peace deal at talks in Nigeria earlier this month.
The AU has given them until May 31 to endorse the deal, which was also sponsored by Western powers, including London and Washington. — AFP