15 April 2010 - “It was very encouraging to see that, despite the conflict that was going on here, there was very high voter turnout in Darfur,” said former South African President Thabo Mbeki at a press conference held yesterday in El Fasher, North Darfur.

The President’s remarks came at the conclusion of a visit by a delegation of the African Union High Level Panel on Darfur and Ambassador Mahmoud Kane, leader of the AU Elections Observer Mission in Sudan.

The delegation was received by Joint Special Representative (JSR) Ibrahim Gambari, Deputy JSR Mohamed Yonis and senior UNAMID officials who provided them with an in-depth briefing on the security and political developments on the ground, particularly in relation to the ongoing elections. Also among the issues discussed was the shifting of the Mission's focus from deployment towards helping to secure a lasting and all-inclusive peace agreement and promoting early recovery and development.

JSR Gambari took the opportunity to praise the partnership between the two parties and expressed the Mission's keenness to resume mediation of the Doha peace negotiations, due to continue after the election. "You'll find UNAMID to be a ready partner in the peace process," he said.

The delegation later joined a UNAMID patrol to nearby Abu Shouk and Al Salam Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, where they noted the high level of female participation in the elections process, both as voters and as candidates for numerous positions in public office.

"It seems to us that there is a lot of progress that is being achieved here in Darfur, which is demonstrated by the fact that there are so many people across the region who are participating in the elections… in this atmosphere of peace and stability," said Mbeki. "I think it points to a very good future for Darfur."