Africa: U.S. Senior Advisor On Darfur Travels to Sudan And Chad

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United States Department State 27 June 2011 The United States commends the swift passage of UN Security Council resolution 1990, which approves the mandate requested by Sudanese leaders to facilitate the deployment of up to 4200 Ethiopian peacekeepers to the Abyei region of Sudan. Abyei has been a source of regional tension for many years, as the world witnessed last month when Sudanese Armed Forces forcibly took control of the region, resulting in widespread displacement and looting. The approval of this force is a critical step in implementing the June 20 agreement signed by the parties, whereby the Sudanese Armed Forces will withdraw from the Abyei area along with any Sudan People's Liberation Army forces there.

United States Department of State (Washington, DC)

27 June 2011

Ambassador Dane F. Smith, the U.S. Senior Advisor on Darfur, arrived in Khartoum yesterday on the first leg of his trip to Sudan and Chad.

During his visit, Ambassador Smith will participate in the Darfur International Conference on Water for Sustainable Peace, sponsored by the African Union/United Nations Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). He will also meet with Sudanese officials to discuss the path forward for reaching a comprehensive and just settlement to the Darfur conflict and the possibilities of early recovery programs to meet the needs of some of the region’s more than two million displaced.

Ambassador Smith will then travel to El Fasher and Nyala in Darfur, where he will meet with displaced persons, local authorities, international aid workers and UNAMID. The Senior Advisor also plans to visit early recovery sites in North Darfur to assess conditions on the ground.

Finally, Ambassador Smith will travel to Chad to meet with senior Chadian officials and visit some of the 265,000 Darfuri refugees in camps located in Eastern Chad.

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Africa: U.S. Senior Advisor On Darfur Travels to Sudan And Chad