afrol News, 1 July - Burkina Faso Foreign Minister Djibril Bassole has been appointed the new United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) joint chief mediator for Darfur region to resolve the political impasse between Sudan government and Darfur rebels.

Mr Bassole new deployment seeks to conduct the mediation efforts in Sudan where he will be based in El Fasher. His deployment would complement UN and AU Special Envoys for Darfur Jan Eliasson and Salim Ahmed Salim.

Mr Bassole's appointment comes after Mr. Eliasson and Mr. Salim warned that there is reason to seriously question whether the parties in conflict are ready to negotiate and make compromises necessary for an accord to end the fighting that has raged between rebels and government.

The UN says Mr Bassole has extensive experience in conflict mediation, having played a vital role in negotiating peace agreement signed last year by government of Ivory Coast and the New Forces rebels.

Darfur's stalled peace talks were dealt another blow last month when the rebel Justice and Equality Movement attacked a suburb of Khartoum.

Darfur region which has received much attention and support from international community to resolve its problems, have had its peace talks complicated as rebels have in recent past split into more than a dozen factions.

Darfur rebellion which started in 2003 against the Arab-dominated Sudanese government accusing the government of oppressing non-Arabs in favor of Arabs and also of neglecting the Darfur region of Sudan, has been a source of conflict in Sudan which has killed thousands in the country.

UN and AU has to date only managed to deploy less than 10 000 troops of its six months of operation in the country out of 26 000 expected to be deployed in the region.

Meanwhile, Armed members of the rebel groups, the Minni Minawi faction of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), held 38 UNAMID peacekeepers hostage at gunpoint for more than five hours at Zam Zam camp for displaced people.

UN said rebel soldiers surrounded the UNAMID staff and demanded money, claiming it was in compensation for an injured member involved in a motorcycle accident last week with a UNAMID vehicle.

UNAMID's deputy head of mission Henry Anyidoho condemned the attack saying the attack could not be justified.

"Protection of civilians and bringing peace to Darfur define the main purpose of UNAMID's mandate. We must be allowed to carry out our mandate without harassment," Mr Anyidoho told UN.

This is the second time in less than three months that SLA/M members have targeted UNAMID peacekeepers at Zam Zam. On 9 April a police adviser was beaten and two vehicles were hijacked.

Over 300,000 people have been killed in Darfur since 2003, when unrest began in the region while another 2.7 million people have been displaced from their homes.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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