El Fasher, 20 May 2009 – The African Union-United Nations Joint Special Representative (JSR) in Darfur, Mr. Rodolphe Adada, called today for an end to recent fighting near the Chadian-Sudanese border and urged the two countries to refrain from escalating tensions between them.

“I am deeply concerned by the rising tensions and violence in the border area between Chad and Sudan, and I call on all parties to immediately cease fighting.

“I urge the Governments of Chad and Sudan to refrain from any act that may lead to a further escalation of tensions, which could exacerbate the suffering of Darfur’s civilians, particularly the many internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees in the region. I ask them to fully adhere to the accords they have signed, especially the Doha Agreement on 3 May this year.

“As I told the UN Security Council last month, the poor state of relations between Chad and Sudan constitutes one of the biggest threats to efforts to secure lasting peace for the people of Darfur.

“I echo the recent statements on this issue by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and AU Commission Chairperson Jean Ping. There is no military solution to either the Darfur conflict or to the problems between Chad, Sudan and the opposition groups within the two countries. Dialogue is the only way forward.”