ahead of AU Ministerial Meeting
17 January 2006
Khartoum - South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma today,
Tuesday, 17 January 2006 arrives in Khartoum, Sudan, ahead of African Union
Ministerial meeting scheduled from Friday to Saturday, 20 - 21 January
2006.
The Minister said in an interview to Sudan News Agency (SUNA) at Khartoum
airport that she will hold talks with officials in the Sudanese Government
about the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in view of
the fact that South Africa chairs the African Union (AU) post-reconstruction
committee on Sudan.
Answering a question about the post-conflict reconstruction committee in
Sudan, Minister Dlamini Zuma said, "The committee deals with the implementation
of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the North and South Sudan.
And that it has nothing to do with the issue of Darfur".
Answering a question on what should happen to the African forces in Darfur
following a proposal by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Kofi Annan,
to replace these forces by European and American forces, Minister Dlamini Zuma
explained that "my understanding is slightly different from the understanding
that the issue is an African force that needs to be replaced by a non-African
force.
"It is going to be transformed into an AU-UN mission, because the UN
Security Council has overall responsibility regarding international peace and
security and will not abdicate its responsibility to an African mission".
"The big problem is the problem of resources because if it is a UN force,
the UN is able to fund its missions, but since it is an African force then the
Africans have to fund the African Mission. This is a difficulty!" said Minister
Dlamini Zuma.
"I will presume that the core of that force will be the people who are part
of the African mission in Sudan". Answering a question by SUNA about relations
between Sudan and South Africa, Minister Dlamini Zuma said South Africa and
Sudan are friendly countries and co-operate fully and will continue trying to
improve these relations more and more."
As for her expectations from the summit, she explained that the African
Heads of State and Government leaders will discuss and come out with results
that will take the process of building the AU, integration and development
forward.
Foreign Ministers will discuss and make recommendations to the African Union
Heads of State and Government Summit on the following issues:
* 6th Ordinary Session of the Ministerial Conference on the World Trade
Organisation held in Hong Kong in December 2005;
* Meetings of African Ministers of Education, Culture, Health, Science and
Technology;
* AU Commission;
* Draft Common African Position on the United Nations Review process on the
Plan of Action on Small and Light Weapons;
* Situation in the Middle East and Palestine;
* African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights;
* Chairperson of the Pan-African Parliament;
* Outcomes of the World Summit on Information Society held in Tunis in
November 2005;
* meeting of the Troika on the Follow-up of the Africa-Europe Dialogue held
in Mali in December 2005;
* Elect members of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights; and
* Elect a member of the African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the
Child.
Enquiries:
Nomfanelo Kota
Cell: 082 459 3787
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
17 January 2006
Source: SAPA
