UN hails Sudan's decision to accept heavy support package

Both UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the UN Security Council welcomed on Monday the decision by the Sudanese government to accept in full the UN Heavy Support Package to the African Union (AU) Mission in Sudan.

"The Secretary-General is encouraged by this development and intends to move expeditiously with the deployment, in close cooperation with the African Union," said a statement issued by his press office.

Ban called on Sudan to urgently provide the land and other facilities necessary for the deployment of the heavy support package, including permission to explore for water and meet all operational requirements.

He also urged the troops and police providers as well as all donors to contribute generously towards the earliest possible strengthening of the peacekeeping operation in Darfur.

Meanwhile, Ban met at the UN headquarters in New York with Alpha Oumar Konare, the AU's chairman, as well as their respective envoys for Darfur -- Jan Eliasson and Salim Ahmed Salim -- to discuss issues concerning ways to move forward on the deployment of the UN-AU hybrid force.

Speaking to reporters following the meetings, Ban said he had "a very useful and intensive consultation" with the AU chairman and Security Council members, stressing that the Sudanese government's acceptance of the heavy support package is "a good sign."

"I and the African Union intend to move quickly to prepare for the deployment of the heavy support package and the hybrid force," he said, adding that the UN and the AU intend to "intensify the inclusive political process to facilitate all the peace agreements and also protect the civilians in Darfur."

Meanwhile, in a press statement released after hearing briefing from AU chairman Alpha Oumar Konare on Monday afternoon, the Security Council called on the Sudanese government to facilitate the immediate deployment of the Package, adding that it is writing to the secretary-general to enable him to request funding for the Package from the General Assemble.

The council also stressed that "there can be no military solution to the crisis in Darfur," and called for an immediate cease-fire, a reinvigorated political process, an improvement in the humanitarian situation and the deployment of an effective AU- UN Hybrid operation.

The UN chief received a letter earlier Monday from Sudan's UN ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem that confirmed Sudan's approval of "the helicopters component" of the heavy support package for the AU force.

The UN, the AU and the Sudanese government agreed in November last year on the three-phase support plan which was also known as the Annan plan as it was put forward by then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

With the first phase of the plan, a light support package already underway, the three parties reached an agreement in principle in Addis Ababa on April 9 to inaugurate the second phase of a UN support plan for the AU mission in Darfur, known as "the heavy support phase."

But the Sudanese government's opposition for the deployment of attack helicopters in Darfur had blocked the scheduled implementation of the second phase.

Source: Xinhua