Visiting China's special representative for Darfur Liu Guijin
said on Thursday that the Darfur issue called for more efforts in
three main spheres and three principles should be adhered to during
the process.
"The Darfur issue is more about development," Liu told a press
conference held at the Chinese embassy in the Egyptian capital.
More efforts needed in three main spheres
Liu said China appreciated the latest positive development in
the Darfur issue after a joint statement was issued on June 12 in
Addis Ababa of Ethiopia by the African Union (AU), UN and Sudan
unending a hybrid AU-UN peacekeeping force to Darfur.
"China welcomes the latest positive trend in the Darfur issue,"
Liu said.
Yet the newly-appointed envoy said that currently there were
three main spheres calling for more efforts from various parties to
push forward with the solving of the Darfur issue.
Firstly, Liu said, the international community should work
together to push for the comprehensive implementation of the
three-phased support plan, also known as the Annan plan, which was
drawn up by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan.
"The UN should adopt a resolution to support this plan and
provide funds, while African countries should deploy more
peacekeeping forces and other countries make their own
contributions with the consent of the Sudanese government," Liu
said.
Secondly, the political process of the Darfur issue should be
given with more attention, he said.
Only after the rebel holdouts of the Darfur Peace Agreement,
which was signed in the Nigerian capital of Abuja in 2006 between
the Sudanese government and a main rebel faction, sit down and make
serious negotiations, could a long-term political solution be
achieved, said the envoy.
Thirdly, Darfur was faced with severe problems in the
humanitarian and security situation despite many improvements, so
the international community should provide more assistance to
Darfur, said Liu.
Adhering to three principles
To achieve a final solution to the Darfur issue, all parties
concerned should stick to three principles in their efforts to help
solve the issue, Liu said.
Firstly, a political solution was the only effective approach to
the Darfur issue, he said.
"Sanctions or pressures cannot solve the problem but will only
complicate the situation and send incorrect signals to the Sudanese
government after positive trends already appear in the development
of the issue," Liu noted.
Secondly, "we support the leading role of the AU under the
framework of the effective three-party AU-UN-Sudan consultation
mechanism, with the Arab League playing a unique role. Other
proposals and suggestions from the international community should
conform with the three-party mechanism," Liu said.
Thirdly, Liu stressed, Sudan's sovereignty and territorial
integrity should be respected during the whole process, while
concerns of other parties should also be addressed.
The international community should encourage the positive
attitude of the Sudanese government because there won't be a final
solution without the government's support.
Development being Darfur's main problem
Liu asserted that China has been playing an active and
constructive role and would like to continue making extensive
contacts with concerned parties to help solve the Darfur issue.
China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has
been closely cooperating with the UN, AU and the Sudanese
government on the Darfur issue, he said.
China was committed to sending 275 engineering troops to Darfur
to support the second phase of the Annan plan, as well as US$10
million and other humanitarian support to Darfur, he added.
In response to Xinhua questions, Liu said China had provided
US$30 million in development assistance to Sudan, and that China's
investment by oil companies had helped Sudan develop more
sophisticated oil exploration and refinery businesses.
Terming them as "normal commercial deals," which were
transparent and open based on equality and mutual benefit, the
Chinese envoy dismissed reports of politicizing the cooperation
between China and Sudan in oil sectors as "baseless and
groundless."
"Shortage of resources, which pushes local tribes to vie for
water and land, was the key problem in Darfur," he said, adding
that development and poverty were the key problems facing
Darfur.
He called on the international community to provide not only
humanitarian assistance but also aid for economic and social growth
in Sudan.
Liu, who arrived in Cairo on Wednesday, is currently on a
several-day visit to Africa, which already took him to South Africa
and Ethiopia before Egypt. Liu is scheduled to leave for Sudan on
Friday.
(Xinhua News Agency June 22, 2007)
