UN - AU joint chief mediator for Darfur to arrive in Khartoum Monday

SUNA - The U.N. and African Union (AU) joint chief mediator for Darfur, Djibril Bassole, is due to arrive in Khartoum next Monday to assume his duties officially from El-Fashir, North Darfur State.

In this regard, Director of the Department of Peace at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador El-Tayeb Ali Ahmed, said to SUNA the joint UN-AU Chief Mediator will commence his mission with meetings with officials at the federal government as well as in the States of Darfur. "Bassole will conduct negotiations on resumption of talks between the Government and armed movements in Darfur by focusing on the achievement of peace from within," said the Ambassador.

He added that the Joint UN-AU Chief Mediator will get acquainted with the initiative of the president of the Republic to achieve peace in Darfur, which was announced during his recent visit to the region. Ambassador Ahmed added in his statement to SUNA this is the first time a Peace Envoy assumes his duties from Sudan, explaining that the former Peace Envoys Jan Eliassion and Salem Ahmed Salem assuming their mission via intermittent visits to Sudan.