Following yesterday's meeting with the Secretary-General, the Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson met today with Professor Ibrahim Ghandour, Assistant to President Omar Hassan-Al Bashir of Sudan and Deputy Chairman of the National Congress Party.

They discussed the National Dialogue called for by President Bashir and ongoing efforts to end hostilities in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile. They also exchanged views on the situation in Darfur, including ongoing discussions on an exit strategy for UNAMID. The Deputy Secretary-General underscored the need to end the fighting in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, and to ensure humanitarian access to people in need. He stressed the importance of an inclusive and transparent National Dialogue for the achievement of lasting peace and development in Sudan.

The Deputy Secretary-General expressed concern over continued allegations of mass rape in the village of Thabit in Darfur. He urged the Government of Sudan to allow UNAMID access to carry out a full investigation into the incident.

New York, 12 February 2015