Crisis in Darfur is unacceptable-UN Secretary General

Addis Ababa, Jan. 29, GNA - Mr Ban Ki-Moon, the United Nations Secretary General, has described the situation in the Darfur Region of Sudan as "unacceptable" and called on the African Union (AU) to work with the world body to bring peace to the area.
       "The partnership between the AU and the UN is of central importance to how we fare on this, the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.
       "Together, we must work to end the violence and scorched-earth policies adopted by the various parties, including militias, as well as the bombings, which are still a terrifying feature of life of Darfur"; he said, in his address at the opening of the Eighth Ordinary Session of the AU in the Ethiopian Capital Addis Ababa, his first major assignment as UN Chief, on Monday.
       Heads of State and Government from the 53 African countries including President John Agyekum Kufuor are attending the meeting, the main high point of which is the election of a new Chairman to take over from Congolese President Sassou Nguesso.
       Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey, Mr Patrick Manning, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Palestinian President Mamoud Abass and Mr Amr Moussa, Secretary General of the League of Arab States also took turns to address the opening ceremony.
       The two-day session has as its theme: "Science, Technology and Scientific Research for Development".
         Mr Ban spoke of the need to address the regional dimensions to the Darfur conflict adding that, life-saving humanitarian work must be allowed to resume with the civil society given voice in the peace process.
        "We must persuade non-signatories to join, while building consensus for the urgent deployment of a UN-AU force on the ground."
      The UN Secretary General said he was looking forward to productive discussions with the African Leaders to bring the needed sense of unity to bear on the tragedy in Darfur, which as he noted was not only holding back the potential of Sudan as a whole to develop as a peaceful, prosperous and democratic nation but could undermine the future of the entire Region.
        "Let us bring the same unity of purpose to bear on those intractable crises that bleed like open wounds on the face of the Continent. Let us bring it to bear on our efforts to bring peace to Somalia and Cote d'Ivoire."
        Mr Ban repeated his pledge to make Africa, his top priority, saying: "I intend to hold to the promise I made to you. I owe it to you and to the people of Africa."
        Mr Prodi said his country, as a founding member of the European Union (EU) and a member of the Group of Eight Industrialised Nations (G8), which has always been friend to the Continent, would continue to support and play it part in helping the Region to overcome its challenges.
        He, however, appealed for the use of dialogue for the resolution of all conflicts and said unilateral decisions must always be avoided.
        President Nguesso noted that peace, security and stability were necessary for development saying, it was on the basis of this that trouble spots on the Continent would continue to engage the attention of the Union.
        He said there was now a clear vision for Africa's integration through the harmonisation of regional economic communities and the enhancement of democratic governance and called for support from the international community.
29 Jan. 07