Darfur 'mission not impossible'
2008-07-20 22:29
Khartoum - Darfur's new chief mediator
Djibril Bassole made his first visit to Sudan on Sunday as he
begins his uphill task of reigniting a stalled peace process.
"This will be a difficult mission, but it's not mission
impossible," he told reporters after long talks with Sudan's
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Karti.
Bassole, the foreign minister of Burkino Faso, faces
numerous obstacles to securing peace. Not least an announcement
on July 14 that the International Criminal Court wants an arrest
warrant for Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for
genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
"My priorities will be defined by the Sudanese, but we must
strengthen dialogue and ask for a cessation of hostilities to
create the conditions to search for a comprehensive political
solution," Bassole said.
The mediator met Bashir, a presidential advisor said, and
confirmed he would be starting his post on August 1.
Language barrier
"The president gave him a briefing on how to resolve Darfur
and said he was ready for any talks with Nafie (Nafie Ali Nafie)
as the head of the government negotiating team," Bashir's press
advisor Mahjoub Fadul told Reuters.
Bassole's task will be complicated by the fact he speaks
neither Arabic or English, the languages understood by those
negotiating, whether from rebels or from the government.
International experts estimate 200 000 have died and 2.5
million driven from their homes since mostly non-Arab rebels
took up arms in early 2003 accusing the government of neglect.
The Sudanese said they were upbeat about Bassole: "I'm optimistic," Karti said. "I feel that he's coming to
stay in Sudan to (find about) about the problem from all sides
whether the government or the armed groups."