UNION AFRICAINE


UNIأO AFRICANA
Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA P. O. Box 3243 Tel : (251-11) 551 3822 Fax : 551 9321
Email: [email protected] website : www. africa-union.org

PRESS COMMUNIQUE No. 1

The 7th Round of the Inter-Sudanese Peace Talks on Darfur
due to open on Tuesday

The 7th Round of the Inter-Sudanese Peace Talks on Darfur is scheduled to open on Tuesday, 29th November, 2005, in Abuja, Nigeria at 4.00pm. The Talks, organised under the auspices of the African Union (AU) with the support of the International Community, will be attended by the Representatives of the Government of the National Unity of the Sudan (GNUS), the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), the Sudan Liberation Movement/ Army (SLM/A), in addition to the Chadian Co-Mediation and the Nigerian and Libyan Facilitators, as well as Representatives of the International Partners.

Since the last round which ended on 20th October 2005, efforts have been made by the AU Mediation and International partners to overcome the divisions within SLM/A leadership. In this regard, various initiatives were taken, notably by the US, Chad, Libya, and Eritrea with the support of the African Union.

Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, AU Special Envoy and Chief Mediator commended these efforts and expressed his satisfaction with the fact that both Mr. Abdul Waheed Al-Nur and Mr. Mini Minawi Arkoi of SLM/A are already in Abuja to attend this new Round of Peace Talks. It is the hope of the Special Envoy, the AU Mediation as well as the International Partners that this Round will be a decisive one as affirmed by the Parties at the end of the 6th Round.

Abuja, 27 November 2005