Information Note

US Senator Kerry visits North Darfur

El Fasher, 07 January 2011 – A delegation led by United States Senator, and Chairman of the US Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, John Kerry, arrived today in El Fasher, North Darfur, as part of a visit to the region ahead of the referendum on South Sudan.

The US Senator adressing to new IDP in Shangil Tubaya. Photos by Albert González Farran.

The eight-member delegation was welcomed by UNAMID Joint Special Representative Ibrahim Gambari and other senior officials and was briefed on the most recent security and humanitarian developments in Darfur, including efforts to assist newly displaced populations as well as preparations for the referendum. The envoys then paid a visit to the Wali (Governor) of North Darfur to discuss matters of mutual interest.

The delegation later flew to Shangil Tobaya, approximately 70 kilometers south of El Fasher, where thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) have been sheltering outside the Mission team site after clashes in the area last December between armed movements and government forces. While food aid has not yet been able to reach these IDPs, UNAMID peacekeepers have been providing water and basic medical care in addition to increasing their patrols and offering escorts to nearby water points.

“On behalf of all of our citizens, on behalf of President Obama, and all those people who support the United Nations’ efforts, we are very grateful to you,” said the Senator to the peacekeepers. “We have great respect for what you’re doing, and we hope that your lives and the lives of the Darfurians and of the Sudanese will change over the course of the next year much more dramatically.”

The Senator later addressed a large gathering of IDPs, who voiced their concerns for increased security and humanitarian relief.

Kerry arrived in the Sudan on Tuesday to meet with authorities in the country’s north and south before the referendum. This is the Senator’s third visit to the country since last October, and the second to Darfur, having been here in April of 2009.

Communication and Public Information Division Media Contacts
Kemal Saïki, Director; saiki@un.org; tel.: +249 (0) 92 244 3529; mobile: +249 (0) 92 241 0020

Mayada Umbadda, Media Relations; umbadda@un.org; mobile: +249 (0) 91 250 1966