SC/8486
AFR/1244
31 August 2005

Press Statement on Sudan by Security Council President

NEW YORK, 30 August (UN Headquarters) -- Following is today's statement to the press by Security Council President Kenzo Oshima (Japan):

The members of the Security Council thank the African Union for mediating peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, between the parties to the Darfur conflict.  The members of the Council laud Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim's leadership of the mediation and stand ready to support both Dr. Salim and the African Union in their further efforts.

The members of the Council strongly urge the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, the Justice and Equality Movement and the Government of the Sudan to return to the talks in Abuja on 15 September, as requested by the African Union, and urge all parties to negotiate constructively and urgently to secure an early agreement.  Only through a political solution can a durable peace and reconciliation be achieved in Darfur.

The members of the Security Council hope that the example set by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement reached at Naivasha for North-South reconciliation will have a positive impact on the Abuja Talks and on the future of Darfur within a stable and united Sudan.

The members of the Council remind the parties of the previous agreements they have signed and urge them to adhere fully to the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

The members of the Council reiterate their support for the 5 July signing of the Declaration of Principles, which serves as a framework for further good-faith dialogue on more extensive negotiations pertaining to wealth- and power-sharing as part of a comprehensive settlement to the crisis in Darfur.

The members of the Security Council remain firmly committed to the cause of peace in all Sudan, including through the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the resolution of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

The members of the Council reiterate their support for the continuing efforts of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) operating on the ground in Darfur.

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