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Thursday, 01 July 2004
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Secretary-General Holds Talks in N'Djamena after Visiting Darfur

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has arrived in the capital of Chad, N'Djamena, from Sudan's war-torn Darfur region. Mr. Annan will hold talks with Chadian President Idriss Deby, whose country has taken in some 120,000 refugees from Darfur. The government of Chad has also brokered talks between Darfur rebels and the government in Khartoum, which resulted in a ceasefire in April. Earlier on Thursday, the Secretary-General visited a camp of displaced people from the Darfur region. He assured them that no one would force them to go home without guarantees of protection from the Janjaweed militias. Mr. Annan also stressed that it is the government's responsibility is to ensure law and order, so people can get on with their lives.

Secretary-General Urges Sides in Colombia Peace Talks to End Paramilitarism

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has noted the opening of formal talks between the Government of Colombia and paramilitary forces. He is urging the sides to respect fully the declared ceasefire and to proceed with the negotiations. UN spokesman Stephan Dujarric read out a statement on behalf of the Secretary-General.

"These negotiations should result in the disarmament and demobilization of paramilitaries, with the ultimate aim of ending paramilitarism in Colombia. The process should not permit blanket amnesties or de facto impunity."

Mr. Annan urged that the rights of truth, justice and reparations for victims be fully respected.

Security Council Fact-Finding Mission Reports Progress in Peacekeeping in West Africa

The UN Security Council fact-finding mission has returned from visiting 7 countries in West Africa. The 14-member delegation, led by British Ambassador, Jones Parry, focused especially on UN peacekeeping missions in Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone. In Accra, the mission learned that the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS), now chaired by Ghana, intends to establish a stand-by force of 6,500. Briefing the Security Council, Mr. Parry said that in Côte d'Ivoire, the signatories of the 2003 Linas-Marcoussis peace agreement were brought together for the first time to review their progress towards the goal of holding elections by 2005.

"Abidjan was a timely and important visit. We expressed concern at the present political impasse and the non-functioning of government and we delivered tough messages to all the parties, to the government, to President Gbagbo, to parliamentarians, and civil society. "

Mr. Parry also said the mission was impressed by the improved security situation in Liberia. For Sierra Leone he underscored the need for economic development in addition to improving the country's security and defense capacity.

Vanessa Redgrave Visits Gaza

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, known as UNRWA, is hosting a visit by the actress and human rights activist Vanessa Redgrave. Ms. Redgrave is making her first ever visit to Palestine after nearly 30 years of campaigning for peace and justice in the Middle East. Sami Mshasha, a spokesman for UNRWA, said Ms. Redgrave helped launch a UNICEF measles immunization campaign and went to see the impact on Palestinian communities of the separation barrier being built by Israel.

"Ms. Redgrave is in town as a guest of UNRWA. She visited Gaza, and now she's in West Bank. Gaza was closed due to Israeli military incursion into Gaza City. But now she's in Ramallah, she was in Qalqilya, she was able to see the barrier."

At a press conference in Jerusalem Ms. Redgrave called on the international community to contribute more to UNRWA's emergency appeal for 2004, only a third of which has been funded so far.