New UN mediator for Darfur
2008-06-27 19:28
Khartoum - The UN special envoy for Darfur said on Friday that he would relinquish efforts to find a political solution to the five year conflict in the troubled region of Sudan to a new mediator.
Jan Eliasson said a chief mediator representing the UN and AU would soon be announced, but that he would stay on as special advisor at the request of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
"The word resignation sounds so definite and drastic. I have never used that term myself, but the reality is that we will now have a joint chief mediator," Eliasson said by telephone from Sweden.
"I will continue to follow Darfur because the secretary-general has asked me to stay on as special advisor," he said.
Critics have accused Eliasson and his AU counterpart Salim Ahmed Salim of not spending enough time in Sudan. Both envoys have called for a joint mediator who will be based in the African country full-time.
The UN-brokered peace process on Darfur has stalled ever since talks in Libya last October were boycotted by key rebel factions.
Situation not very promising
"We are available for advice and possible engagement. Unfortunately now the situation does not look very promising for the beginning of substantive negotiations," Eliasson said.
Asked about unconfirmed reports Burkina Faso Foreign Minister Djibrill Bossole could be considered for the job, Eliasson refused to be drawn on the identity of the new mediator until all information had been finalised.
The UN says that up to 300 000 people have died and more than 2.2 million have fled their homes since the Darfur conflict broke out in February 2003. The Sudanese government says 10 000 have been killed.
The conflict began when African ethnic minority rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated regime and state-backed Arab militias, fighting for resources and power in one of the most remote and deprived places on earth.