Get Sudan's Hybrid Force in place -JAK

Accra, June 18, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday asked the United Nations (UN) Security Council to move quickly to provide the needed logistics and resources for the deployment of the hybrid peacekeeping force in the Sudan Darfur Region.

The Council must come on board quickly to help those who are prepared to take the risk to secure the peace in that troubled area, he said when he interacted with the members of the Security Council's Mission sent to five Africa Countries at the Castle, Osu. "Promise of support is good but delivering on the promise on time is even better."

The seven-day mission has already taken the members to Ethiopia and Sudan. From Ghana, they would travel to Cote d'Ivoire before ending up in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

They are, among other things, exchanging views on how to maximize the relationship between the Council and Regional Organisations, in particular the African Union and the discussion of mechanisms for closer ties in the fields of conflict prevention, mediation, peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstructions.

The mission is under the joint leadership of Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry of the United Kingdom (UK) and Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo of South Africa.

They sought the views of President Kufuor on the Darfur conflict, which has claimed about 200,000 lives and displaced about two million people, the situation in Somalia, Cote d'Ivoire and the DRC.

President Kufuor said the humanitarian crisis in trouble spots in Africa were not doing any good to the image of Africa and that the AU was determined to do all it could to help bring peace to those areas. He said Ghana for example had for kept for almost a year, its contingent for peacekeeping duties in Somalia on standby, waiting for the necessary logistics and resources to take up duties there. He said although it was important getting the Somalia Transitional Government and the Islamic Courts Union to dialogue, not much headway could be made unless, there were enough troops on the ground to improve on the security situation and secure the peace.

On the DRC, President Kufuor noted that the country was making progress after the recent democratic elections but said the Council needed to empower the Government to exercise its authority over the entire territory to open up the country.

Again, it should also support the AU's Peace and Security Council to function more effectively as this would be to the advantage of the world body.