EUHR Javier SOLANA met with Mustafa OSMAN ISMAIL, Sudanese Foreign Minister

Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, met today for a working dinner with Mustafa OSMAN ISMAIL, Foreign Minister of Sudan.

The meeting was an opportunity for the High Representative to learn about the recent initiatives by the Sudanese government to address the crisis in the region of Darfur, and about their plans to implement the commitments made to the United Nations Secretary-General in this context.

Javier Solana acknowledged improvements in terms of humanitarian access to Darfur, but underscored the European Union's wish for full and unhindered humanitarian access. He also expressed the European Union's satisfaction with the decision by the government of Sudan to send a high-level delegation to the start of the political talks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Javier Solana hoped that the next round of talks scheduled for the beginning of August would provide more concrete outcomes. He told the Minister that the EU has urged the rebel groups to engage seriously in the political process and fulfil all their obligations.

Mr. Solana expressed great concern about continuing cease-fire and human rights violations, notably by the Janjaweed. He emphasised the need for all parties to respect the cease-fire and for the Government to act without delay on the disarmament of the Janjaweed militias, under supervision of the African Union (AU) monitoring mission, as decided at the AU Summit of 6-8 July in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He urged the Government to arrest the leaders of the Janjaweed, as a first significant step towards the dismantling of these militias, which are held accountable for most of the human rights violations in Darfur.

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• GAERC on Sudan - Council conclusions (26/7/2004)