Khartoum, September 05 (Darfur24)
UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy to Sudan Pekka Haavisto arrived in Khartoum on Friday for consultations with key Sudanese stakeholders on de-escalation and measures to strengthen civilian protection.
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said Haavisto spoke by phone on Thursday with Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, to discuss de-escalation and civilian protection.
During his visit, Haavisto will join representatives of the five-party mechanism comprising the African Union, European Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), League of Arab States and the United Nations.
The group will hold a series of meetings with key stakeholders to discuss Sudan’s political landscape, including recent initiatives and proposals aimed at advancing Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue, Dujarric said.
The visit comes days after a 19-member committee launched a Sudanese-Sudanese Dialogue Initiative in Khartoum. The initiative seeks to establish a political path by consulting political, civil society and community groups and creating conditions for broader dialogue.
Dujarric said the United Nations continues to stress the need for a negotiated settlement that reflects the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people.
Haavisto will also continue engaging with Sudanese parties inside and outside the country to identify ways the UN can support a comprehensive and sustainable political process led and owned by Sudanese stakeholders, to achieve lasting peace.