Affairs, Aziz Pahad
25 October 2007
President Mbeki to pay State visit to Namibia
South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will on Monday, 29
October 2007 depart for Windhoek, Namibia ahead of President Mbeki who is
scheduled to pay a State visit on Tuesday, 30 October 2007. On Wednesday, 31
October 2007, President Mbeki will together with his Namibian counterpart,
President Hifikepunye Pohamba co-chair the South Africa -Namibia Investor
Conference.
President Thabo Mbeki and his senior government and business delegation will
visit Namibia within the context of South Africa's priority to consolidate
bilateral political, economic and trade relations with Namibia as well as the
Southern African Development Community (SADC) and New Partnership for Africa's
Development (Nepad) programmes.
Discussions between Presidents Mbeki and Pohamba on Tuesday, 30 October 2007
are expected to include, among others:
* the status of bilateral political, economic and trade relations between
the two countries and how to consolidate and increase such relations
* a review of political, social and economic developments in the region
including the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe;
and
* the forthcoming Africa-European Union Summit to be hosted by Portugal on 8
to 9 December 2007.
Presidents Mbeki and Pohamba will on Wednesday, 31 October 2007 co-chair the
South Africa-Namibia Investor Conference. The Conference aims to:
* stimulate domestic investment and attract foreign investment
* showcase investment projects in Namibia
* promote and encourage regional integration and economic development;
and
* facilitate an increase in trade between Namibia and other economic regions
globally.
The Investors Conference has attracted a lot of interest, not only from
South Africa but from several other countries. So far 613 participants from 189
countries have registered for the Conference.
It is expected that an agreement regarding the Reciprocal Promotion and
Protection of Agreements will be signed during the State Visit.
While in Namibia President Mbeki will also address a joint sitting of the
two houses of Parliament and lay a wreath at Heroes' Acre.
African Union Committee of 10 Meeting
Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad will on Friday, 26 October 2007 depart
for Accra, Ghana where he will lead a South African delegation to the African
Union Committee of 10 meeting scheduled for Saturday to Sunday, 27 and 28
October 2007.
It was clearly reiterated at the African Union Summit in Accra, Ghana in
July 2007 that the ultimate objective of the African Union is to achieve a
United States of Africa with a Union Government.
Outcomes of Accra Summit (Accra Declaration)
The Assembly of the Union, meeting at its 9th Ordinary Session in Accra,
Ghana from 1 to 3 July 2007.
Recalling our decision Assembly/AU/Dec 156 (VIII) adopted in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia in January 2007 on the need for a "Grand Debate on the Union
Government" with a view to providing a clear vision of the future of the
African Union and of African Unity:
Convinced that the ultimate objective of the African Union is the United
States of Africa with a Union Government as envisaged by the founding fathers
of the Organisation of African Unity and, in particular, the visionary leader
Dr Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana;
Also convinced of the need for common responses to the major challenges of
globalisation facing Africa and boosting regional integration processes through
an effective continental mechanism;
Recognising that opening up narrow domestic markets to greater trade and
investment through freer movement of persons, goods, services and capital would
accelerate growth thus, reducing excessive weaknesses of many of our Member
States;
Further recognising that the Union Government should be built on common
values that need to be identified and agreed upon as benchmarks;
Acknowledging the importance of involving the African people in order to
ensure that the African Union is a Union of people and not just a "Union of
States and governments", as well as the African Diaspora in the processes of
economic and political integration of our continent.
Hereby declare as follows:
* There is a need to accelerate the economic and political integration of
the African continent, including the formation of a Union Government for
Africa.
* The ultimate objective of the African Union is to create the United States
of Africa.
* We reiterate our earlier decision on the rationalisation and strengthening
of the Regional Economic Communities and the harmonisation of their activities
so as to lead to the creation of an African Common Market, through the stages
set in the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community (Abuja Treaty),
with a reviewed and shorter timeframe to be agreed upon in order to accelerate
the economic integration.
* We agree on the roadmap to attaining the Union Government as follows:
* To conduct immediately, an audit of the Executive Council in terms of
Article 10 of the Constitutive Act, the Commission as well as the other organs
of the African Union in accordance with the Terms of Reference adopted by the
10th Extraordinary Session of our Executive Council held in Zimbali, South
Africa on 10 May 2007.
* to commission detailed studies on the following:
* identification of the contents of the Union Government concept and its
relations with national governments
* identification of domains of competence and the impact of its
establishment on the sovereignty of member states
* definition of the relationship between the Union Government and the
Regional Economic Communities
* elaboration of a roadmap and timeframe for establishing the Union
Government; and
* identification of additional sources of financing the activities of the
Union.
* The outcome of the studies will be submitted to a Committee of Heads of State
and Government which will make appropriate recommendations to the next ordinary
session of our Assembly.
Done in Accra this 3rd Day of July 2007.
World Bank announces that 25 African countries record impressive growth
As the curtains were drawn on Tuesday, 23 October 2007 on the 2007 Annual
Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), the bank's President, Robert Zoellick, said there was
"good news" coming from Africa.
He said 17 countries on the continent achieved average annual growth of 5,5
percent between 1995 and 2005, while another eight achieved 7,5 percent growth
within the period under review.
Given the progress report so far, Zoellick said African countries needed
assistance to develop their infrastructure in order to attain higher growth
level.
"These countries want assistance to build infrastructure for higher growth -
especially energy and physical facilities that can support regional
integration. They also want us to help develop local financial markets,
including microfinance, that can mobilise African savings for Africans," he
said.
According to him, greater investments in technological research and
dissemination, sustainable land management, agricultural supply chains,
irrigation, rural micro-credit, and policies that strengthen market
opportunities and assistance with rural vulnerabilities and insecurities were
areas that African countries needed to focus on.
Zoellick said the reality of developed countries not meeting their
commitments would result in most African countries not meeting the Millennium
Development Goals.
He admitted that the bank's knowledge of handling conflicts was modest which
required a new approach.
"Frankly, our understanding of how to deal with these devastating cases is
modest at best. I suspect we will need a more integrated approach involving
security, political frameworks, rebuilding local capacity with quick support,
reintegration of refugees, and more flexible development assistance".
Zoellick harped on the need for globalisation to benefit the world's poor,
most of whom come from developing countries also adding that that poor
countries are more at risk from the impact of climate change.
He said the bank would support increased "resilience" to climate even as he
acknowledged the concern of developing countries that resources for fighting
climate change would come at the expense of other development needs.
Sudan
The South African government is deeply concerned about recent developments
in Sudan. On 11 October 2007, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)
suspended its participation in the Sudan Government of National Unity (GNU). In
this regard, eighteen Cabinet Ministers and three Presidential Advisors have
suspended their participation in the GNU until the grievances of Southern Sudan
have been addressed. These include the "obstruction of democratic
transformation, lack of initiation of national reconciliation and healing
process, non-implementation of Abyei Protocol, non-completion of the Sudan
Armed Forces (SAF) integration and redeployment, lack of transparency in oil
sector operations, inadequate funding of census process and delay of
North-South borders demarcation".
Progress has not been made in the resolution of the key contentious issues
of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), viz the Abyei Border dispute, the
North-South boundaries, wealth sharing and security arrangements. In addition,
there are delays in implementing issues such as the census which has been
shifted to February 2008 after it was initially scheduled to be held in July
2007.
The conduct of the national census will assist in determining constituencies
for the 2009 elections. Also, despite the promulgation of the Political Parties
Act in February 2007, the electoral law has not been passed thus negatively
affecting preparations for elections.
While the above issues are key to the decision by the SPLM, the trigger was
the refusal by President Omer Hassan Ahmed El Bashir to allow the reshuffling
of the SPLM Ministers in the GNU, particularly Dr Lam Akol, the Minister of
Foreign Affairs and Dr Telar Deng, Minister in the Presidency.
President El Bashir has responded to the SPLM's demands by issuing a
Presidential decree reshuffling three ministerial posts, two presidential
advisors and six state ministers. Despite this progress the SPLM is still
refusing to resume participation in the GNU citing that the reshuffling was not
in line with the list of Ministers submitted to the Presidency. In this new
arrangement Dr Lam Akol was replaced by Lt General Deng Alor Kouol as the new
Minister of Foreign Affairs while the SPLM had identified Dr Mansour
Khalid.
The SPLM is also demanding the NCP to address the genuine issues related to
the implementation of the CPA presented to the Presidency by the SPLM
leadership. In light of the above the implementation of the CPA is facing
serious challenges as the meeting of President El Bashir and First Vice
President of the Sudan failed to yield any results.
The South African government urges all sides to take all steps to ease the
tensions and find solutions that will enable the full implementation of the
CPA.
On a positive note, significant progress has been made in returning refugees
to Southern Sudan. As such 158 576 refugees from the Democratic Republic of
Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt have returned to Southern
Sudan. However, it has also been reported that some returnees have decided to
return back to their countries of asylum due to lack of basic infrastructure,
health services and schools in Southern Sudan.
The Darfur Situation
Amid preparations for the peace talks between the Darfur armed groups and
the Government of the Sudan (GOS) there are fears that violence in Darfur may
be extended to other parts of the Sudan. These fears emanated from increasing
violence since the announcement of the peace talks between the non signatories
and the GOS to be held on 27 October 2007 in Libya. Among these was the deadly
attack against the African Union Peacekeeping Mission (AMIS) headquarters in
Haskanita, Southern Darfur. During this attack 10 peacekeepers were killed and
60 others went missing. This was the first major assault against AMIS since its
deployment in 2004. The escalation of violence has prompted the United Nations
(UN) to consider the deployment of two infantry battalions to support AMIS
before the deployment of the United Nations-African Union (UN-AU) Hybrid
Force.
While investigations to identify the perpetrators of this attack are
ongoing, it is widely speculated that it was aimed at looting weapons by the
Darfur armed groups to defend themselves.
The South African government strongly condemns the criminal acts and urges
the relevant authorities to take urgent steps to identify and arrest the
perpetrators of these acts.
Peace talks
On 15 October 2007, representatives of seven Darfur armed groups met in
Juba, Southern Sudan to find a common position in preparation for the
forthcoming negotiations with the Government of the Sudan. Following the
above-mentioned meeting, the SLM has announced that they will not participate
in the scheduled peace talks citing that the UN and the AU have failed to delay
the meeting to allow them to form a united position and agree on the
agenda.
The South African government rejects the rationale of boycotting the talks.
Other challenges to the talks include the fragmentation of the Darfur armed
groups, the perception that some of the armed groups are not interested in the
resolution of the conflict but in gaining material and other incentives
associated with peace processes.
The South African government urges all parties to be flexible and
constructive during negotiations. Bringing Abdel Wahid el-Nur to the peace
talks and other key stakeholders including the Darfur civil society will
contribute in the acceptance of the outcome of the Libya peace talks.
Unirted Nations Hybrid Force
While the GOS has agreed to the deployment of UNAMID, the UN has raised
concern regarding "bureaucratic obstacles" posed by the GOS in the deployment
of UNAMID.
The South African government believes it is important that these obstacles
are concretely and accurately identified so that through constructive
negotiations they can be resolved:
(i) Troop contributions and pledges are likely to be between 73 and 82
percent African based on current offers;
(ii)African countries that have already made offers which include: Rwanda,
Nigeria, Senegal, Ethiopia, Egypt, and South Africa;
(iii) The request for a battalion from South Africa for deployment by
December 2007;
(iv) The readiness of Nigeria, Rwanda, Thailand, Nepal to deploy;
(v) The proposition by Thailand and Nepal to deploy and the fact that Sudan
has been informed of that proposal which enjoys the support of the AU;
(vi) Sweden and Norway to contribute engineering teams;
(vii) Egypt which has indicated that it would deploy 2 500 troops;
(viii) The fact that most AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS) battalions will need to
be reinforced to meet UN standards (i.e. 800 per battalion and this also
applies to South Africa.
In its efforts to address the spill-over effect of the Darfur conflict to
the neighbouring Chad and the Central African Republic(CAR), the UN Security
Council has passed resolution 1778 authorising the deployment of a European
Union (EU) force and UN police to improve security, facilitate the delivery of
humanitarian aid and contribute to protecting civilians in Chad and CAR.
Darfur peace talks in Libya
President Omar El-Bashir had in September said during a visit to Italy that
he would initiate a ceasefire at the start of the Libyan talks.
Sudan's UN ambassador Abdelmahmood Mohammed reiterated on Tuesday, 23
October 2007 that it will announce a cease-fire at the start of peace talks in
Sirte, Libya with rebel groups on 27 October: "This will be a good confidence
building measure when all parties agree to a ceasefire, which we are going to
announce on the 27th," he said.
Spokesperson of the six rebel groups Issam al-Haj was speaking in the
southern Sudanese capital of Juba, where the United Nations and the African
Union had been hosting the Darfur rebels in a bid to agree a unified position
ahead of Saturday's talks in Sirte, Libya.
Six rebel factions from the war-torn Western Sudanese region of Darfur said
on Tuesday, 23 October 2007 that they would boycott peace talks in Libya this
week because the Khartoum government has no legitimacy.
The South African government rejects this argument: there cannot be any
meaningful negotiations without the participation of the Sudanese
government.
The preliminary talks were an initiative of the head of the former southern
rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement, Salva Kiir, whose SPLM signed a peace
deal with Khartoum in 2005 that ended Africa's longest running civil war.
However, the SPLM on 11 October withdrew from the unity government
complaining that President Omar al-Beshir and his ruling National Congress
Party had failed to apply crucial elements of the 2005 peace deal.
The six groups refusing to participate are different factions of the Sudan
Liberation Movement/Army under the command of Ahmed Abdel Shafi, Ibrahim Ahmed
Ibrahim, Jar al-Nabi Abdel Karim and Mohammed Aki Kelai as well as the Northern
Command faction and another group of West Darfur rebels.
However, the SLM/A faction of Khamis Abdallah Bakr said it would attend the
Sirte talks.
AU Commission chief Alpha Oumar Konare visiting Sudan on Tuesday reiterated
Khartoum's determination "for Sirte to be a big success" after meeting
Beshir.
"We hope that all our other Sudanese brothers have the same inclination and
what we're hearing is that all these brothers are determined to work toward
winning the peace," Konare told journalists in Khartoum.
"It's time for peace, it's the moment for peace and we cannot lose time. We
no longer have the right to lose time given the damage that we can see."
United States Deputy Secretary of State, John Negroponte in September raised
the possibility of sanctions against rebels who failed to attend the talks.
"If an important rebel group chooses not to attend, not to send a
representative, should not be a cost-free choice," he said.
The South African government fully supports the AU-UN initiative and
supports the conclusion of the UN Security Council that action will be taken
against any individual or group that obstructs the peace process.
The South African government also calls on governments and organisations who
continue to assist and give sanctuary to the rebel groups to cease to provide
any such assistance.
Security Council Presidential statement calls for cessation of hostilities
in Darfur as weekend peace talks date approaches
The full text of presidential statement S/PRST/2007/41 reads as follows:
"The Security Council stresses the urgent need for an inclusive and
sustainable political settlement in Darfur and strongly welcomes, in this
regard, the convening of peace talks on 27 October in Sirte, under the
leadership of United Nations Special Envoy Jan Eliasson and African Union
Special Envoy Salim Ahmed Salim, who have the Council's full support".
"The Security Council expresses its strong concern at the continuing
deterioration in the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur, and urges
all parties to exercise restraint immediately, avoiding retaliation and
escalation.
"The Security Council calls on all parties to attend and to engage fully and
constructively in the talks and, as a first step, to urgently agree and
implement a cessation of hostilities to be overseen by the United Nations and
the African Union. The Council underlines its willingness to take action
against any party that seeks to undermine the peace process, including by
failing to respect such a cessation of hostilities or by impeding the talks,
peacekeeping or humanitarian aid. The Council also recognises that due process
must take its course.
"The Security Council underlines that an inclusive political settlement and
the successful deployment of UNAMID are essential for re-establishing peace and
stability in Darfur. The Council expresses its deep concern at the delays in
deploying UNAMID. The Council calls, in this regard, for Member States to
urgently make available the aviation and ground transport units still required
for UNAMID, and for all parties to facilitate and expedite UNAMID's effective
deployment."
"The Security Council requests the Secretary General, in his regular 30-day
reports to the Council on UNAMID, to also report on progress being made on, and
any obstacles to, the political process and the situation on the ground."
Press conference by special envoy for Darfur on peace talks in Libya
The peace talks about to open in Libya on Saturday, 27 October, aimed to
bring together the parties to the conflict in Darfur and provide an opportunity
for negotiations in one centralised location, Jan Eliasson, Special Envoy of
the Secretary-General for Darfur, said at a Headquarters press conference
today.
Speaking via video conference from the Eritrean capital of Asmara, where he
is conducting a pre-meeting participation drive with Salim Ahmed Salim, his
African Union counterpart, Mr Eliasson said not all the parties were expected
to attend the talks in Sirte, Libya, and there were indications that some were
not ready. "But I want to very much make the point that the consultations they
are carrying out now in Juba, and perhaps elsewhere, will, of course, also
continue in Sirte."
He said the meeting was expected to open on Saturday and the various Darfur
rebel movements would have plenty of time to talk, but negotiations would start
only after all parties were fully prepared.
But a date was needed for turning the tide and breaking the vicious cycle in
Darfur. The meeting date of 27 October had been set by United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Alpha Oumar Konaré, Chairman of the African
Union Commission, on the basis of agreements made with the movements at the
August talks in Arusha that the talks would be held at the end of October.
Invitations had gone out the week before and it was to be hoped that the
movements, which had been working in Juba, would realise that their attendance
would be in the best interests of their people.
The Special Envoy said he had met with President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea
while in Asmara, and in Khartoum, with the Sudan's chief meeting negotiator,
Nafi Ali Nafi. Overall, the Sirte meeting was the result of consultations held
over 10 months with rebel movements, the Government of the Sudan and
representatives of civil society and countries in the region, not least
Eritrea, Libya, Chad and Egypt.
He said the plan now was to open the meeting on Saturday afternoon, hold a
"general debate" at the foreign ministerial level on Sunday and achieve an
agreement on a cessation of hostilities by the commitment of at least one
party. Topics would then be addressed according to their degree of urgency and
complexity, with the issues of compensation and security being taken up
quickly. Other questions, such as power-sharing, would take longer to work out
since they dealt with governance issues.
In response to a question, he said the main objective was to bring "on
track" those involved with the crux of the conflict: the need for people to
return to their land, which was now occupied by people who did not own it. Only
"band-aid" measures had been applied to the situation in Darfur so far, and the
Sirte talks represented the moment of truth. Of course, some wanted them to
fail.
Responding to another question, he conceded that the situation on the ground
was worrying, given the tragic events of the past month and the unrest in the
camps, where people had been living for more than four years and teenagers were
becoming radicalised due to frustration. There were also tensions inside the
Sudanese Government with problems between the Sudan People's Liberation
Movement (SPLM) and the National Congress Party over the 2006 Comprehensive
Peace Agreement that had ended the civil war between North and South.
In addition, the Darfur rebel movements, including the Sudan Liberation
Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), had splintered and
influential SLM Chairman Abdul Wahid's resistance to participating in the peace
process was as strong as ever.
But the Sirte talks must succeed to avoid a dangerous situation, Mr Eliasson
said. To that end, the government was facilitating the participation of civil
society and its willingness to do so was the most encouraging aspect of the
talks about to open. It was still too early to tell how many parties would take
part, but new participants were still being picked up amid political
uncertainties, the reluctance of people in camps to attend and logistical
challenges such as the processing of government permits.
In response to a question about lowered expectations for the outcome of the
talks, given all the uncertainties about attendance, the Special Envoy said the
opportunity offered by the talks was also the occasion for a "reality
update".
Asked about the role of Libya in the talks, he said that country was hosting
the event but in substance it was on the same level as the Sudan's other
neighbours Chad, Egypt and Eritrea. Their involvement was pivotal because
borders set up by colonial powers did not always reflect the realities of
cross-border tribal relations.
South Africa's involvement
South Africa as an active member of the United Nations and the African Union
has been invited to attend the opening session of the Darfur peace talks in
Sirte, Libya on 27 October 2007. The participation of South Africa in the
opening session will provide South Africa with an opportunity to interact with
all role players in the Darfur conflict. In addition, South Africa has been
requested to contribute additional troops to the United Nations African Union
Mission in the Sudan (UNAMID).
The implementation of the DFA-GOSS-Unisa Capacity and Institution Building
Project for the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) Officials is going
according to plan. To date, more than 700 GOSS officials have received training
in South Africa. The training of forty one Government of Southern Sudan
Officials in Diplomacy and International Relations commenced on 23 September
2007 to 28 October 2007. It is expected that the training on Local Government
Public and Service Administration will be implemented before the end of
December 2007.
Somalia
The South African government is extremely concerned that the process of
national reconciliation, currently underway in Somalia, continues to be
frustrated by difficult political, economic and social conditions.
As part of the broader national reconciliation, phase one, focusing on clan
reconciliation, of the National Reconciliation Congress/Conference (NRC) was
conducted from July to August 2007 with the adoption of a number of resolutions
and a time-table for implementation. The Transitional Federal Government (TFG)
together with other organisers of the conference hailed this stage (sometimes
called Social stage) of the NRC a success. Accordingly, the adopted Resolutions
are aimed at laying the ground work for the future and similar reconciliation
conferences.
The declaration includes: total ceasefire of hostilities among the clans,
disarmament of clan militia and return of collected ammunitions to
government.
However violent attacks and clan violence continue to haunt the Somalis;
with roadside bombing, insurgency and counter insurgency being common against
civilians, the TFG and the Ethiopian defence force. There is still ongoing
tension between the TFG and some groups of the Islamic Courts Movement who are
now operating from different parts of the region. Some insurgents have vowed to
launch an Iraq-style guerrilla war until the country becomes an Islamic
state.
In addition to the violent attacks, political instability within the TFG is
again emerging with 22 of a group of 30 Ministers signing a letter demanding a
vote of no confidence in the Government. The reason behind such a move is
alleged to be that the TFG has failed to deliver on its mandate, particularly
the drafting of the Constitution, the holding of census and setting up of
functional regional governments.
There are increasing reports that this political instability has also been
exacerbated by the escalating tension between President Abdullahi Yusuf and
Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi regarding the latter's term in office. About
223 members of parliament out of a 275 total met recently to deliberate over
the fate of Prime Minister Gedi. Some MPs argued that the term of office for
Gedi's has expired while his supporters maintained that the Prime Minister
still has 14 months remaining in his term. The voting relating to Gedi's fate
was however incomplete with 80 parliamentarians walking out during the voting
and some other abstaining.
The South African government supports all efforts to normalise the
situation. It is expected that the secretary-general of the Arab League, Amr
Moussa, will make his first visit to the Somali capital Mogadishu with the aim
of reconciling the different parties. The proposed visit follows the request by
the Somali government to the Arab League to change its permanent representative
in the country, after having accused former Arab League representative in
Somalia, Abdullah Al-Arami, of being close to the Islamic Courts Movement.
Ethiopia has again announced it will withdraw once the African Union Mission
in Somalia (AMISOM) has been adequately strengthened to deal with the violence
and undertake peace-keeping missions.
In July 2007 the African Union (AU) Commission extended the mandate of about
1 600 Ugandan peacekeepers under the auspices of AMISOM for a further six
months. The decision to extend AMISOM was later adopted by the United Nations
Security Council which also remains seized with the Somali conflict. African
Countries that pledged to send their troops have thus far failed to do so due
to security reasons and "financial constrains." These include: Ghana, Nigeria,
Burundi and Malawi. We welcome the decisions of some countries, including the
US, the EU and China who have since responded to the call of assisting with
financial resources for peacekeeping missions.
Over 400 000 Somali civilians have been displaced internally this year and
forced to flee the country. According to figures compiled by the United Nations
High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and a network of partners, of those 400
000, over 125 000 have returned to the city and another 27 000 fled between
June and July 2007. The number of those fleeing rose sharply during the
national reconciliation conference as a result of the intensifying violence.
Piracy also continues to hamper humanitarian efforts. Recently, Somali pirates
seized a cargo ship off the east African coast, one in a series of high-seas
attacks in the past week.
The South African government expresses its deep concern that on 17 October
2007, the TFG security forces detained the Head of the UN world Food Programme
(WFP), Mr Idris Osman, in an armed raid on the UN compound in the capital
Mogadishu, allegedly as part of an investigation into unspecified crimes. Prime
Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi said the WFP head was "under investigation", but
refused to specify what crime the UN employee was suspected of committing. Mr
Osman was subsequently released. The resurgence of violence together with such
raids has forced out most aid agencies leaving the UN and a few others to run
limited operations.
Additionally, increased tension between the self-declared republic of
Somaliland and the neighbouring self-declared autonomous region of Puntland
over the disputed region of Sool has led to the displacement of up to 20 000
people from the area. Forces loyal to the Somaliland administration took
control of the Sool regional capital Las Anod, which was previously controlled
by Puntland on 15 October 2007; sparking violent demonstrations which called
for Somaliland to withdraw its forces. Sool and Sanaag geographically fall
within the borders of pre-independence British Somaliland, but most of the
clans are linked to Puntland.
South Africa supports the National Reconciliation Process in Somalia and is
in full support of Somalia's capacity and institutional building as a means
towards restoring lasting peace in the country and the region. To that end,
efforts are underway within the DFA in consultation with other stakeholders to
device a strategic framework policy to contribute to finding a solution.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
The situation in the Eastern and Northern part of the DRC remains an area of
concern after the recent clashes between the Democratic Republic of Congo Armed
Forces (FARDC) and General Nkunda's militia. The continued fighting between the
parties is precarious for the stability of the DRC.
These clashes in North Kivu have resulted in more than 150 000 people being
displaced and the numbers continues to rise due to insecurity in the province.
The fighting also prevents humanitarian aid from reaching many displaced
persons and is creating a dire humanitarian situation. The United Nations
Refugee agency (UNHCR) has also reported that 8 000 Congolese refugees have
fled to neighbouring Uganda following the clashes. This has the possibility of
creating a regional humanitarian crisis with refugees crossing the borders of
the DRC into neighbouring countries.
Remarks by MONUC (United Nations Mission in the DRC) Force Commander
At the weekly MONUC press conference in Kinshasa on Wednesday, 17 October
2007, MONUC force commander General Babacar Gaye reiterated MONUC's mandate, as
the DRC government seeks to establish its authority in troubled North Kivu
province.
General Gaye explained that in Masisi territory during the course of an
evacuation of FARDC wounded by MONUC during the recent clashes, the local
population began throwing stones at the blue helmets.
"This equates to incomprehension of the nature of our action by the local
population. I also received a report yesterday that FARDC soldiers arriving
into Goma had a less than friendly attitude towards our troops," the General
explained.
He went on to say that MONUC's mandate was very clear, with the priority of
ensuring the security of the local population.
"In North Kivu we have deployed Mobile Operating Bases, we escort the
humanitarian convoys, and we are close to the displaced camps. In this regard
our action is quiet and permanent."
In addition, General Gaye said that MONUC's mandate is to give support to
the unfolding political process, and to support the DRC Armed Forces
(FARDC).
"We give advice and assistance to the FARDC. MONUC supports the FARDC in
North Kivu with air reconnaissance, and air transport for munitions, troops and
the evacuation of wounded. The towns of Goma and Sake are also protected by
MONUC."
He underlined that it's the duty of the international community in a crisis
situation to recommend a peaceful solution to all parties.
"MONUC is a peacekeeping force and our preferred option is that the
combatants enter brass age immediately without conditions in a peaceful manner.
If this does not happen, it is clear that there is an elected government, which
has a duty to protect the population. It is not the responsibility for anyone
other than the legal government of this country."
General Gaye concluded by saying it is necessary to give a peaceful solution
every possible chance to be implemented.
"It is not a weakness by any side to give a chance to a peaceful solution;
it's in the interests of the population who are the priority in this situation.
To give a peaceful solution a chance, communication needs to be improved and it
is necessary to multiply the kinds of actions that call people to reason."
MONUC has stated that it will continue to assure the protection of the local
population under its mandate. In addition, MONUC's mandate is to give support
to the unfolding political process, and to support the DRC Armed Forces
(FARDC).
Under article 190 of the Congolese Constitution, no one may organise
military or para military groupings or private militias. The forces of General
Nkunda are therefore illegal and are urged to take advantage of the opportunity
to enter the integration process. South Africa urges the militias or combatants
to enter the process immediately, without conditions and in a peaceful
manner.
The Security Sector Reform meeting scheduled to be held in Kinshasa soon is
essential for the creation of a cohesive national army which is a crucial step
towards establishing lasting peace in the DRC. The processes of "brassage"
"mixage" and demobilisation are crucial and all combatants are urged to
participate.
South Africa notes the Round Table on Peace and Reconciliation that was held
in North and South Kivu. South Africa supports the holding of a follow up to
the two Round Tables, which is currently being planned to be held in Kinshasa,
to enable the deputies from the Kivus to participate and make contributions to
the outcomes of the Round Table.
The International Community is once again urged to assist the Congolese
people and to recommend a peaceful solution to all parties.
Burundi
The status of the implementation of the comprehensive ceasefire agreement
JVMM meeting
On 20 to 21 October 2007, facilitator, Minister Charles Nqakula and
Ambassador Mamabolo, Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region visited Burundi to
revive the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JVMM) since the
departure by Palipehutu-FNL representatives in the process. The meeting was
prompted by recent dissention from combat position by pro peace members of the
Palipehutu-FNL. Recently, the Palipehutu-FNL group has split into two groups
versus those who are pro peace and ready to implement the Cease-Fire Agreement,
and those who prefer continuation of the armed conflict. The pro peace group
had assembled in two sites, in deplorable humanitarian situation (lack of food,
medication, shelter and security).
The Palipehutu-FNL split
The decision by the Palipehutu-FNL leadership to pull out of the JVMM has
caused a split in the organisation with a number of war fatigue combatants
defying the leadership. To date 1 500 combatants have left their combat
position handed themselves to the Burundi Government and indicated their
readiness to begin the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration in
accordance with the Cease-Fire Agreement.
This has created a crisis situation as it has led to confrontation between
the pre and anti CCA factions of the Palipehutu-FNL resulting in about 22
deaths so far. In addition the numerous combatants require food, shelter and
protection. There is an urgent need to lobby the international community to
assist with food aid and humanitarian assistance. The Burundi Government has so
far provided accommodation and protection. It is envisaged that more of the
Palipehutu-FNL
combatants will abandon their combat positions to join the dissident group.
The JVMM meeting convened on 20 October 2007 was held in the absence of the
representatives of the Palipehutu-FNL and is set to proceed with the
construction of proper assemble and demobilisation centres. This includes the
provision of security and giving attention to the humanitarian situation of the
dissenters. The dissident group of the Palipehutu-FNL is willing to undergo the
demobilisation process whilst the Government of Burundi is ready to accept this
group to Defence, Police and Intelligence Services.
Currently, the total strength of these dissenters is estimated at 2000. The
group that had assembled in Rugasi Commune in the Province of Bubanza is 1 600.
This group had agreed to disarm and handed their weapons to the Burundi
National Defence. The group in Randa has a total strength 409 and has refused
to disarm. The group have total of 57 assault rifles and 120 hand grenades.
The biggest challenge on this group is the provision of security as on 15
October 2007, 35 dissenters had been killed.
In this regard, a political directorate had been established to provide
political guidance to the JVMM and also to act as advisors to the government of
Burundi and the Palipehutu-FNL on the implementation of the parties' political
programme. This is in view of the 31st December 2007 deadline set by the
African Union to end the implementation of the peace process.
The directorate will be chaired by ambassador JNK Mamabolo, deputised by
Ambassador Bah, the Special Representative of the African Union in Burundi.
Other committee members are ambassadors, Lembede, Mndolwa, and the Envoy to
Burundi, Mahmood, and Special Representative of the United Nations in Burundi.
Ambassador Mamabolo will be stationed in Bujumbura from the 1st November till
the end of the Mission on 31st December 2007.
In relation to the peace process, the facilitator and leaders of the region
will continue to engage the Palipehutu-FNL leadership with the hope that they
return to the JVMM.
The Regional Summit
The facilitator, Minister Charles Nqakula has also requested the Regional
Leadership to consider convening a Regional Summit that will receive a report
and deliberate on the way forward in view of the failure of the parties to the
CCA to implement the agreement they signed more than a year ago. If agreeable
the Summit will be held possibly the first two weeks of November 2007.
Côte d'Ivoire
The political situation in Cote d'Ivoire is still stable and political role
players are positive about the peace process. Political parties are currently
positioning themselves for the elections, which (according to the IEC) could be
held by 31 October 2008 at the earliest and this is demonstrated by the fact
that some of the political parties have even started campaigning around the
country.
President Laurent Gbagbo and Prime Minister Guillaume Soro continue to
maintain a good working relationship. The two leaders meet on regular basis to
take stock of the progress (or lack thereof) in the implementation of the
Ouagadougou Agreement. Their good relationship could be witnessed by the fact
that over the weekend of 20 October 2007, Prime Minister Soro was adressing a
peace rally organised by the Young Patriots (Pro-Gbagbo youth movement) in
Gagnoa (Gbagbo's home town), a place which was a no-go area for Soro less than
a year ago.
Audiences Foraines: A symbolic launching of the 'Audiences Foraines' started
in two towns, Ouragahio (centre west) and Ferkessedougou (north) at the
beginning of October 2007 and it has now spread to other towns. Although the
process is moving slowly, the IEC confirmed that 2 923 birth certificates have
been issued out of 3 204 requests received so far. Only 17 teams were operating
out of the 25 that were initially commissioned. The Prime Minister indicated
that the success of this project would determine the strategy of launching the
'Audiences Foraines' throughout the whole country. The actual process of the
'Audiences Foraines' was scheduled to commence on 1 October 2007 but, due to
technical, financial and logistical challenges, this was not possible. The
program is only designed to issue birth certificates to residents without
Identity Documents.
Implementation of the Ouaga Peace Agreement: It is now almost seven months
since the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement was signed and the implementation is far
behind schedule. The main challenges are the issues of the redeployment of
state's representatives back to the North and other former FN controlled areas,
the appointment of the prefects and the finalisation of the DDR process. These
processes could not commence without proper offices, accommodation, strict
supervision and guarantee of security to officials and civilians. The
government is waiting for the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) to
release funds to fully implement some of the activities, especially the
'Audience Foreign' and the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR)
process.
Whilst it is clear that the Ouagadougou Agreement is behind schedule, the
international community still believes that the Ivorians should be given a
chance to implement the peace process. All the programmes are running late but
the Prime Minister assured the nation that as soon as the 'Audiences Foraines'
process is running smoothly, all the other programmes would be fast-tracked.
There is also a factor of ethnicity that always defines the politics in this
country. Despite the presence of over 9 000 UN forces (UNOCI) in Cote d'Ivoire
since 2004, due to ethnic conflicts there has been hundreds of thousands of
displaced Ivorians in and out of the country as well as driven out migrants
from neighbouring states who worked in Ivorian cocoa plantations.
Security situation:
The military/security situation in Côte d'Ivoire continues to be calm, which
is an indication of the good working relationship between the Generals of the
two armies (General Mangou and General Bakayoko).
In the Forces Nouvelles Capital of Bouake, the problem that is being
experienced is the increase in the number of checkpoints and the toll-fee that
motorists have to pay. In the Forces Nouvelles town of Bouna (Notheast), there
were sporadic attacks and clashes between the soldiers of the FN and the local
youths. This was as a result of misconduct by the FN soldiers at the
checkpoints in the town. Although the security situation in Abidjan could be
described as calm, the crime rate has increased at an alarming rate, especially
car hijacking and violent house break-in. The diplomatic community has also
found itself to be a target of the car hijackings and house break-ins. The
illegal roadblocks/checkpoints which are manned by members of the security
forces are also on the increase in Abidjan.
Redeployment of the administration in the former rebel-held north:
According to the information provided by the National Committee for the
redeployment of the administration, at least 156 prefets and sub-prefets
including their assistants have returned to the posts located in the zones
under the control of the former rebel movement.
The problem currently being experienced is the lack of houses and offices to
accommodate the Prefets. The houses and offices that are available are those
still be occupied by the Forces Nouvelles Zone Commanders, who are refusing to
vacate these premises. The provision of transport (especially 4x4's) is also a
big issue since roads are not well maintained and it is difficult to access
most of the towns. The Prefets also raised a question of their security since
they do not trust the Forces Nouvelles soldiers. The Prime Minister had a
meeting with the leadership of the soldiers of the Forces Nouvelles during the
week of 15 to 19 October 2007 in Bouake. All the zone commanders were present
at this meeting. The Prime Minister stressed the need to support the
Ouagadougou peace process especially the holding of the "Audiences Foraines" in
the Forces Nouvelles-controlled areas.
Elections:
The date of the elections has not yet been announced. President Gbagbo
indicated that he is ready to go for elections during the first quarter of 2008
using the 2000 voter's roll. This 2000 voter's roll is currently under dispute
as the IEC has issued it for comment by all political parties and the
opposition has complained that this voter's roll has been tampered with as all
the names of individuals who come from the North are now missing from the list.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has indicated that, at the earliest,
elections could be held at the end of 2008. Considering that the identification
process is far behind the schedule, it is likely that the elections will be
held towards the end of the next year. All parties have started with their
campaigns to strengthen their bases, especially the RDR that recently
experienced exodus of its senior members.
The Integrated Command Centre (ICC):
The ICC, a unit created by the Ouagadougou Agreement to handle the military
issues of the peace accord has no capacity and is not operating according to
the requirements of the peace process. A report on the situation of the ICC was
recently issued and states that the ICC that has been entrusted with the DDR
and the formation of the new army would probably fail in its mission because of
a lack of funds. The managers of the ICC have so far not been able to get the
budget that the centre needs for its optimum operation. The report also
mentioned a lack of buildings to accommodate the various services of the
ICC.
The government is facing a daunting challenge regarding the total
integration of the FANCI (National Army) and the FAFN (Forces Nouvelles) into a
strong united army. The delay in the integration of the security forces and the
DDR process are opening a gap that is being exploited by the criminals. Cases
of banditry are on the increase in Abidjan and on the main roads leading to the
neighbouring countries.
Promotions and rank issue:
Since the mass promotions of high-ranking military officers during the
National Day celebrations this year, the impasse between the Forces Nouvelles
and the FANCI regarding the issue of the ranks of the Forces Nouvelles still
remains. The government has not yet found a common ground with the Forces
Nouvelles to solve the pending issue of ranks of the former rebels. According
to the recent statement by Mr Sidiki Konate (Spokesperson of the FN), he
indicated that politicians should not use the military ranks of the soldiers of
the New Forces as a pretext to sabotage the peace process. Due to the
sensitivity of this issue and the difficulty in finding a solution acceptable
to both armies, this problem was given to the facilitator (President Blaise
Compaoré) to resolve. The facilitator has yet to find a solution to this
problem. The issue of the ranks cannot be ignored and if this is not closely
checked, it could reverse all the gains that the Ouaga Agreement achieved so
far.
The appointment of the new Special Representative of the Secretary General
(SRSG):
The country and the leadership have accepted the appointment of Mr Choi
Yougn-Jin, a South Korean diplomat as the Special Representative of the UN
Secretary General. There has been a leadership vacuum and uncertainty within
the UNOCI since Mr Pierre Schori (the previous SRSG) left Cote d'Ivoire in
February 2007.
Western Sahara
The recent two rounds of United Nations-sponsored talks between Morocco and
the Frente Polisario on Western Sahara were positive but they could not be
described as negotiations, given the two sides largely rejected each other's
views, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his latest report on the
issue.
Mr Ban says "we now risk entering a protracted stage of negotiations and
status quo" on Western Sahara, with more direction needed from the Security
Council before any substantive negotiations can begin.
The UN-led talks between Morocco and the Frente Polisario, which contest
Western Sahara, took place in Manhasset, just outside New York, in June and
again in August.
The Secretary-General writes that the fundamental positions of the two sides
were mutually exclusive and so it prevented them from seriously discussing each
other's proposal during the talks.
"As a result, the parties did, indeed, express their views and even
interacted with one another, but they mainly did so by rejecting the views of
the other party, and there was hardly any exchange that could in earnest be
characterised as negotiations," he states.
Morocco's position is that its sovereignty over Western Sahara should be
recognised, while the Frente Polisario's position is that the territory's final
status should be decided in a referendum that includes independence as an
option.
Although the August talks ended with agreement that the status quo was
unacceptable and that the talks process should continue, a mutually acceptable
date for the next round has not yet been set.
Mr Ban says his Personal Envoy on the issue, Peter van Walsum, has reminded
both parties that "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."
The acceptance of this principle by Morocco and the Frente Polisario "could
be the key to the beginning of genuine negotiations, as it would encourage them
to discuss proposals with elements that are unacceptable to them."
In an April resolution, the Security Council called on the parties to enter
into negotiations "without preconditions in good faith."
Mr Ban recommends that the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in
Western Sahara (MINURSO), which has been in place since September 1991 to
monitor the ceasefire between the two sides, be extended for another six months
until 30 April next year.
He also encourages the parties to work with MINURSO to directly co-operate
and communicate with each other on areas of mutual concern such as mine
clearance.
In addition, the Secretary-General welcomes the fact that exchanges of
family visits between Western Sahara and refugee camps in the Tindouf area of
neighbouring Algeria have continued without interruption in recent months.
"I am encouraged that the parties have also agreed in principle to the
expansion of the programme, and that seminars and a new round of registration
will take place in the months ahead," he says.
Zimbabwe
A delegation of EU MPs visited the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in South
Africa on Friday, 19 October 2007, and after meeting to discuss the issue
agreed it was better to invite Mugabe and engage him on the crisis in Zimbabwe,
rather than snub him altogether.
The EU delegation was headed by Michael Gahler and PAP was represented by
legislator Marwick Khumalo. At a joint press conference Friday they revealed
that EU-Africa MPs will be meeting a day ahead of the heads of state summit in
December, and hoped to influence the leaders to meet Mugabe and offer to
discuss his problems.
The EU and PAP parliamentarians are the latest addition to a growing list
who believe engagement is a better alternative to the decision made by the
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who has insisted he will not attend the
summit if Mugabe is invited. Brown said it was important to take a strong
stance against the abuses of the Mugabe regime.
However, countries that see the importance of a EU-Africa Summit are
committed to ensuring that the Summit does take place with the participation of
President Mugabe.
Myanmar
October sees Aung San Suu Kyi being in detention for 12 years. The South
African government supports the efforts by the international community,
including those of the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari to
facilitate dialogue in Myanmar that would bring about a resolution to the
country's challenges.
We welcome the fact that Paolo Sergio Pinheiro, Special Reporter on the
situation of human rights in Myanmar, said he will be allowed by the Myanmar
authorities to visit the country on 17 November.
He intended to leave for Myanmar soon after the visit of Ibrahim Gambari,
the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General, who was due in the country the
first week of November. Mr Gambari was currently in South-East Asian countries
to encourage the Governments there to help resolve the crisis in Myanmar.
The mandate given him by the resolution of the special session of the Human
Rights Council on Myanmar, he said. The mandate basically concerned the recent
crisis in the country. His task was to offer "an honest and objective picture"
of the crisis, including its immediate origin, the excessive use of force by
the military, the fate of detainees and the number of casualties, and then to
offer some recommendations to the Human Rights Council.
Mr Pinheiro said that he did not know how many people were still in
detention. He said: "I think the situation of fear prevails. I don't think
repression has eased."
He also believed that detentions were continuing. "What annoys me is that
the repression had not stopped in a single moment, despite the universal appeal
by the Human Rights Council, and the statement of the President of the Security
Council (document S/PRST/2007/37 of 11 October)."
In answer to another question, he said he did not want to put the lives of
people he might meet at risk. The Secretary-General would seek to ensure that
he would be given full cooperation.
Middle East
Under-Secretary-General, briefing Security Council, tells of deep concern
over Palestinian situation, amid intensive political dialogue
The past month had seen the most intensive political dialogue on the Middle
East in years, although there was still deep concern over the situation on the
ground in Gaza and the West Bank, B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for
Political Affairs, told the Security Council on Wednesday, 24 October 2007
during his periodic briefing on the region.
He said bilateral talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and
President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian authority had continued and both had
tasked their teams to work intensively on a framework document for a serious
and substantive exchange during the upcoming international meeting. In those
efforts, they had been strongly supported by the Middle East Diplomatic Quartet
(the United Nations, United States, European Union and the Russian Federation),
which had met with the League of Arab States Follow-up Committee in late
September.
At the same time, he said, the Palestinian Authority was rapidly developing
its reform and development plan to serve as the basis of a funding package for
a donor conference scheduled for Paris to help fill a fiscal gap anticipated in
2008. It had also continued its efforts to improve law and order, but faced
challenges to its planned deployment of security personnel and other
initiatives.
Meanwhile, he continued, Israel's Government had said 24 roadblocks and one
checkpoint in the West Bank had been removed, while the Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs had reported that the total number of
obstacles to movement stood at 562, down by 1 from the previous reporting
period. Israel had also issued permits for some 3,400 family reunions in the
West Bank, out of a total of 54,000 pending cases, and released a further 86
Palestinian prisoners.
Mr Pascoe expressed hope that more such confidence-building measures would
be forthcoming and strongly encouraged Israel and the Palestinian authority to
enhance cooperation on security, freedom of movement and economic rejuvenation,
in close cooperation with the quartet representative.
However, socio-economic conditions in the West Bank remained a serious
concern and could be exacerbated by further planned restrictions, he said.
Israel's construction of the barrier continued, as did settlement activity,
which contravened the Road Map and the Fourth Geneva Convention. In addition,
strong complaints had been lodged about an order for the confiscation of almost
300 acres of Palestinian land for an alternate road network in the West
Bank.
At the same time, four people had been killed and 69 injured due to internal
Palestinian violence resulting from the continuing factional divide, he said.
The Palestinian Authority and Hamas continued to disagree, with the former
insisting on a reversal of the latter's measures of the last four months and
Hamas indicating its opposition to the dialogue between President Abbas and
Prime Minister Olmert. Hamas continued to clamp down on rival factions, leading
to sometimes heavy clashes and allegations of human rights abuses. Such
allegations had also been made against the Palestinian authority in the West
Bank.
In Israeli-Palestinian violence, meanwhile, he said, 31 Palestinians,
including one child, had been killed and 153 injured, while one Israeli had
been killed and six injured. Two hundred Palestinians had been detained by the
Israel Defence Forces, with one prisoner dying from injuries sustained in a
prison riot. Israeli army Corporal Gilad Shalit was in his seventeenth month of
captivity.
He said 27 rockets and 90 mortars had been fired at Israeli targets from
Gaza and one standard Grad rocket had been launched at the city of Netivot, as
the Israeli Government claimed that weapons continued to be smuggled into Gaza.
Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon continued to condemn
all acts of terrorism, as well as all military acts targeting, endangering or
harming civilians due to their disproportionate or indiscriminate
character.
On humanitarian aspects, he said that, because of Israel's decision last
month to designate Gaza a hostile territory, the situation there was
deteriorating alarmingly. In June and July, about 100 truckloads of
humanitarian goods had been entering Gaza daily; today that number was around
50. Last month, a daily average of five critical medical cases had crossed Erez
into Israel for essential medical treatment, compared to an average of 40 in
July. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 Palestinians remained stranded in Egypt and
one of the two crossings remaining open for humanitarian goods was slated to be
closed towards the end of the month. It was difficult to see how security
concerns could justify the hardship caused by those measures.
The situation within Palestinian refugee camps in the country remained
precarious, with occasional armed clashes between Palestinian militias.
Tangible improvements in camp living conditions were urgently needed and donors
were urged to continue providing vital financial assistance for urgent
humanitarian needs and reconstruction.
Turning back to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he said the
Secretary-General strongly backed current diplomatic efforts and hoped that an
international meeting to deal with the substance of a permanent peace would
have broad Arab participation, produce positive results and lead to a serious
follow-up process. He encouraged the parties to be bold in reaching
understandings on core issues and committing to a clear process, and called for
urgent efforts by the parties to build confidence and improve the situation on
the ground.
Mr Pascoe also recalled that the Secretary-General had pledged that the
entire United Nations system was committed to doing its part to meet the
humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people. However, he regretted the
continued division of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and feared it would
become harder to overcome the longer it was left unaddressed.
During the reporting period, he said, the United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL) had reported 142 Israeli overflights of Lebanese territory,
which constituted serious violations of Security Council resolutions and
undermined the credibility of both UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces in the
eyes of the local population. Israel continued to state that its air violations
were aimed at countering other alleged breaches of resolution 1701 (2006) ,
including violations of the arms embargo.
Nuclear non-proliferation
Iran's newly-appointed top nuclear negotiator has met European Union
officials in Rome over Tehran's nuclear programme.
Saeed Jalili's and his predecessor, Ali Larijani, who resigned over the
weekend, took part in Tuesday's session in Rome and said Iran
would continue negotiating with EU representatives."Negotiation and
co-operation is our basic approach," said Jalili.
"The course that we'll continue will be the same trend that he [Larijani]
has pursued in this period of time."
Javier Solana, the EU foreign policy chief, described the meeting as
"constructive" and said more talks would probably be held by the end of
November.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
25 October 2007
Source: SAPA
