Sudan and Somalia focus of talks between Ban Ki-moon and Kenyan leader

The situation in Sudan, the problems involving Somali refugees and the challenges facing Africa’s Great Lakes region topped the agenda today during talks between Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki in Nairobi.

Mr. Ban and Mr. Kibaki also discussed the partnership between the UN and Kenya, which is home to one of the Organization’s larger duty stations, during their morning meeting, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York.

Mr. Ban then visited UN headquarters in Nairobi, speaking at a closed meeting of the Staff Management Consultative Committee, which brings together representatives of about 38,000 staff from across the world body’s many duty stations. The Secretary-General also addressed a “town hall” meeting with hundreds of UN staff.

Mr. Ban heads now for the Netherlands, for the last leg of his current trip to Africa and Europe. Tomorrow he is scheduled to visit the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which are based in The Hague. He will also meet Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, Queen Beatrix and other senior officials.

When he returns to the United States, Mr. Ban is slated to travel to Washington for a meeting of the Middle East Quartet – the diplomatic grouping comprising the UN, the US, Russia and the European Union which is seeking a two-State solution to the Middle East conflict, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace.