UNION AFRICAINE

UNIأO AFRICANA
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PRESS RELEASE NO. 14

7th ROUND OF THE INTER-SUDANESE PEACE TALKS ON THE
CONFLICT IN DARFUR

The Commissions Resume Work After Christmas Recess

The three Commissions, which constitute the Negotiating Frameworks for the on-going Inter-Sudanese Peace Talks on the Conflict in Darfur, resume their deliberations today Tuesday, 27 December 2005, after three days Christmas recess declared by the AU Special Envoy for Darfur and Chief Mediator, Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim.

The Commission on Security Arrangements, which adopted its five-point Agenda on Friday 23 December, is expected to commence negotiation on Item 1 – General Principles – at 6p.m today. It will be chaired by the Acting Coordinator of this Commission, General Yakubu Usman.

The Commission on Wealth Sharing, for its part, is scheduled to meet at 5pm under the Chairmanship of Mr. Boubou Niang – Adviser to the Special Envoy – in the unavoidable absence of its Coordinator Ablassé Ouedraogo – to continue and finalize deliberations on the few bracketed issues under Items 4 and 8 (Economic Policies; Reconstruction, Investment and Development). The Commission will thereafter open discussions on Item 5 - Development and Management of Land and Natural Resources.

With respect to the Commission on Power Sharing which had earlier agreed to engage in informal negotiations between the Sudanese Parties, there have been such discussions twice yesterday Monday, 26 December, in the presence of its Coordinator Ambassador Berhanu Dinka, as well as one representative of Facilitator Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Dr. Abdulsalam Ahmed Dau, and the representative of the League of Arab States (LAS) Mr Zeid Al Sabban, on behalf of the International Partners. The Commission is expected to continue discussions at working group level today at 4 pm on its Agenda Item 4 -Federal System, Levels of Governance and Their Competences, particularly on the issues relating to the status of Darfur and the Presidency. Deliberations will be pursued at this level, and plenary sessions will be convened when the need arises.

Abuja, 27 December 2005