Unifeed
SUDAN / ELIASSON
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STORY: SUDAN / ELIASSON
TRT: 2.35
SOURCE: UNMIS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 11 OCTOBER 2007, KHARTOUM, SUDAN
11 OCTOBER 2007 – KHARTOUM SUDAN
1. Wide shot, exterior UNMIS HQ
2. Wide shot, journalists and UN Special Envoy for Darfur, Jan Eliasson
3. Med shot, journalists at the press conference
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Jan Eliasson, UN Special Envoy for Darfur:
"We hope that these talks will be talks that are characterized by inclusiveness, we want to have an inclusive approach, we are now in the next days going to send formal invitations and these invitations will be issued both to the non-signatories who are working among themselves, identifying a negotiation team, but we a going to have an inclusive approach, vis-a-vie civil society, in order to make sure that this process is credible to the people of the Darfur, among the people of Sudan."
5. Med shot, Journalist taking notes
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jan Eliasson, UN Special Envoy for Darfur:
"We know that there has been statements of intentions of staying out of the talks, Abdul Wahed's absence has been underlined by many as a problem, but we still claim and say very clearly that the doors are opened, there is always a chair and this is an opportunity to deal with the issues that relate to the people of Darfur."
7. Close up, journalist listening attentively
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sam Ibok, Senior Advisor to AU Special Envoy for Darfur:
"Everyday that there is no agreement on the conflict in Darfur lives are lost and as Mr. Eliasson as indicated more lives are being lost. So the best that we can do is to appeal to our Sudanese brothers and our sisters, particularly the Darfurians and the government of the Sudan, to come to these talks with open minds, without any preconditions. Because no talks have ever succeeded with pre-conditions, we are will to accompany them, but at the end of the day the decision is that of Darfurians and the government of Sudan to make peace or not to make peace. We tried it in Abuja, it didn't quite succeed, we are staying at it and will stay the course with the people of Sudan, we will stay the course with the people of Darfur."
9. Wide Shot, more journalists in the room
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Jan Eliasson, UN Special Envoy for Darfur:
"This is the moment of truth, do we want to go the path of peace, haven't we seen enough of violence and hopelessness, don't we see what is waiting around the corner in the camps, don't we see what is happening to the social and cultural fabric of Darfur torn apart completely. Proud traditions of leaving together in peace gone, is this what we want to perpetuate these questions must be raised by the people of Darfur.
11. Wide shot, Conference hall
After days of talks in Khartoum with government officials, civil society leaders and regional partners, UN Special Envoy for Darfur Jan Eliasson and Senior Advisor to the AU Special Envoy Sam Ibok held a joint press conference at the UNMIS Headquarters in Khartoum today on the mediation preparation and the Darfur talks set to start in Sirte, Libya on the 27th of October.
Special Envoy Eliasson stated that the mediation is staying on course and that the talks will go on as scheduled. He warned that any delay would be tragic and mean more bloodshed. The Special Envoy underlined that violence must never be a way to secure a place at the negotiations table and that its time for all parties to prepare for the talks.
SOUNDBITE (English) Jan Eliasson, UN Special Envoy for Darfur:
"We hope that these talks will be talks that are characterized by inclusiveness, we want to have an inclusive approach, we are now in the next days going to send formal invitations and these invitations will be issued both to the non-signatories who are working among themselves, identifying a negotiation team, but we a going to have an inclusive approach, vis-a-vie civil society, in order to make sure that this process is credible to the people of the Darfur, among the people of Sudan."
Some rebel groups have indicated that they will not be attending the talks unless certain conditions are met, one of them being that only one delegation from the Justice and equality Movement (JEM) and one from the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) talks with Khartoum. Abdel Wahed Nur, the founder of the SLA also said that he would not attend the talks until the new UN force was deployed in Darfur.
SOUNDBITE (English) Jan Eliasson, UN Special Envoy for Darfur:
"We know that there has been statements of intentions of staying out of the talks, Abdul Wahed's absence has been underlined by many as a problem, but we still claim and say very clearly that the doors are opened, there is always a chair and this is an opportunity to deal with the issues that relate to the people of Darfur."
There has been an escalation of fighting in South Darfur over the ten days with attacks on an Africa Union base in Haskanita that left ten soldiers dead and others injured. Over the last two days the village of Muhajiriya was also experienced heavy fighting with over 40 people killed and thousands scattered in the open.
SOUNDBITE (English) Sam Ibok, Senior Advisor to AU Special Envoy for Darfur:
"Everyday that there is no agreement on the conflict in Darfur lives are lost and as Mr. Eliasson as indicated more lives are being lost. So the best that we can do is to appeal to our Sudanese brothers and our sisters, particularly the Darfurians and the government of the Sudan, to come to these talks with open minds, without any preconditions. Because no talks have ever succeeded with pre-conditions, we are will to accompany them, but at the end of the day the decision is that of Darfurians and the government of Sudan to make peace or not to make peace. We tried it in Abuja, it didn't quite succeed, we are staying at it and will stay the course with the people of Sudan, we will stay the course with the people of Darfur."
The Darfur crisis has seen as estimated 200,000 killed and 2.5 million driven from their homes in 4-1/2 years of fighting. The peace talks to be held in Libya are seen as a glimmer of hope in the troubled west of Sudan. The Darfur Envoy urged all the factions to attend the talks emphasizing on an urgent ceasefire as a priority.
SOUNDBITE (English) Jan Eliasson, UN Special Envoy for Darfur:
"This is the moment of truth, do we want to go the path of peace, haven't we seen enough of violence and hopelessness, don't we see what is waiting around the corner in the camps, don't we see what is happening to the social and cultural fabric of Darfur torn apart completely. Proud traditions of leaving together in peace gone, is this what we want to perpetuate, these questions must be raised by the people of Darfur.
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