Secretary-General Ban welcomes new agreement between Chad and Sudan

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today commended Chad and Sudan for reaching an agreement regarding reconciliation and the normalization of relations between the neighbouring African nations.

Mr. Ban, who as an observer witnessed the signing of the deal at the Presidential Palace in Dakar, Senegal, “is encouraged by their stated determination and commitment to normalize their bilateral relations,” according to a statement issued by his spokesperson.

He urged both sides to “remain steadfast in their resolve to restore peace and stability along their shared border, as this would contribute to wider stability in the region as a whole.”

The agreement – signed by Chadian President Idriss Déby and Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir – took place during a mini-summit convened by Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade.

On Wednesday evening and yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General took part in closed-door discussions with the two delegations and the facilitators: President Wade, President Omar Bongo of Gabon and African Union Commission Chair Alpha Oumar Konaré.

Also participating in the summit as observers were the President of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and representatives of the European Union (EU), the United States and France.

During the talks, Mr. Ban urged the sides to come to an agreement on implementing previous accords reached in Tripoli, Cannes and Riyadh, and to create means to follow-up on stopping the violence, his spokesperson told reporters in New York today.

In his statement today, he said the UN will continue to support ongoing regional peace efforts, and he noted that he looks forward to working closely with all parties to “ensure the full and speedy implementation of the Dakar Agreement.”

The Secretary-General is back at UN Headquarters in New York after attending the summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Dakar, and while in Senegal, he also held bilateral meetings yesterday with the President of the Palestinian Authority, the Indonesian President, the Egyptian Foreign Minister and the King of Morocco.

Also yesterday, Mr. Ban received a briefing from his Special Adviser Ibrahim Gambari on his recent visit to Myanmar.