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Mbeki to increase Darfur pressure | Mbeki to increase Darfur pressure |
(about 4 hours later) | |
South African President Thabo Mbeki has arrived in Sudan as part of efforts to persuade Khartoum to accept a new peacekeeping force in Darfur. | |
Sudan is refusing to allow a joint UN-African Union mission to be deployed despite apparently agreeing in principle last November. | Sudan is refusing to allow a joint UN-African Union mission to be deployed despite apparently agreeing in principle last November. |
Mr Mbeki is expected to push for full implementation of the November deal. | Mr Mbeki is expected to push for full implementation of the November deal. |
A Chinese envoy has ended his four-day visit by calling on Sudan to be more flexible in its international dealings. | A Chinese envoy has ended his four-day visit by calling on Sudan to be more flexible in its international dealings. |
Devil in the detail | Devil in the detail |
The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Khartoum says it is a big week for Darfur and the Khartoum government with the back-to-back visits from the Chinese envoy, Zhai Jun, Mr Mbeki, and US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte. | The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Khartoum says it is a big week for Darfur and the Khartoum government with the back-to-back visits from the Chinese envoy, Zhai Jun, Mr Mbeki, and US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte. |
Mr Negroponte arrives later this week and is likely to bring a warning straight from Washington, that President George W Bush is losing patience and is considering tougher sanctions. | Mr Negroponte arrives later this week and is likely to bring a warning straight from Washington, that President George W Bush is losing patience and is considering tougher sanctions. |
Mr Mbeki, one of the African Union's most important leaders, is to arrive on Tuesday, and these three men represent the key international players trying to resolve Darfur's four-year-old conflict. | Mr Mbeki, one of the African Union's most important leaders, is to arrive on Tuesday, and these three men represent the key international players trying to resolve Darfur's four-year-old conflict. |
Though approaching the problem from different angles, their missions are all the same - to break the impasse between Sudan and the international community over the deployment of a new peacekeeping force. | Though approaching the problem from different angles, their missions are all the same - to break the impasse between Sudan and the international community over the deployment of a new peacekeeping force. |
Mr Mbeki is expected to meet Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, as well as South Sudan's leader, Salva Kiir. | |
The AU peace and security commissioner Said Djinnit has said he is confident a final agreement on UN peacekeepers in Darfur will be reached soon. | The AU peace and security commissioner Said Djinnit has said he is confident a final agreement on UN peacekeepers in Darfur will be reached soon. |
Differences remained over the use of helicopter gunships, he said. | Differences remained over the use of helicopter gunships, he said. |
"We hope that we will be able to achieve greater progress in the coming days and weeks," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme. | "We hope that we will be able to achieve greater progress in the coming days and weeks," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme. |
"In the meantime, we'd like to make an appeal to all the parties to refrain from any hostilities, and any act which is to undermine the ongoing process." | "In the meantime, we'd like to make an appeal to all the parties to refrain from any hostilities, and any act which is to undermine the ongoing process." |
Our reporter, however, says there is no sign that Sudan is ready to allow UN peacekeepers into Darfur. | Our reporter, however, says there is no sign that Sudan is ready to allow UN peacekeepers into Darfur. |
Many thought the issue had been resolved in November when Sudan agreed in principle to a strengthened African Union-UN joint force. | Many thought the issue had been resolved in November when Sudan agreed in principle to a strengthened African Union-UN joint force. |
The devil, however, has been in the detail, our reporter says. | The devil, however, has been in the detail, our reporter says. |
In a long letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Mr Bashir queried almost every detail of the planned force. | |
One of his many stipulations was that peacekeeping helicopters should not be used to protect Darfur's civilians. | One of his many stipulations was that peacekeeping helicopters should not be used to protect Darfur's civilians. |