Minister of International Development Erik Solheim will today start his visit to Sudan to follow up on Norway’s peace and development efforts in the country. His trip will cover Khartoum, Darfur, Kassala (eastern Sudan) and Juba (South Sudan).

In Khartoum, Mr Solheim will meet government representatives to discuss implementation of the peace agreement between the north and the south. He will emphasise the need to stop the violence in Darfur, where the level of conflict has escalated in recent months, and to improve conditions so that humanitarian groups can work in the region.

“We must do what we can to ensure that the civilian population in Darfur receives humanitarian assistance and is protected from assault. The international community has concluded that it will be difficult to deploy a pure UN force in Darfur. We therefore need to look at alternative solutions. This is a topic I want to discuss with Sudanese leaders,” says Mr Solheim.

In Darfur, Mr Solheim will visit a refugee camp and meet Norwegian aid agencies and the UN.

In Khartoum, Mr Solheim will also participate in a meeting with the international commission that supervises the implementation of the peace agreement between the north and the south (the Assessment and Evaluation Commission).

The implementation of the peace agreement is also on the agenda for the visit to Juba in South Sudan, where Mr Solheim will meet Norwegian aid agencies and Norwegians serving with the UN. He will also meet delegates to the peace talks between the Ugandan authorities and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), as well as the leader of the negotiations, the Vice President of South Sudan, Riek Machar.

A peace agreement for eastern Sudan was concluded on 14 October. Mr Solheim will visit Kassala to mark Norwegian support for the peace agreement and to discuss rehabilitation and development support with local authorities and civil society representatives. Mr Solheim will also meet representatives of the Eastern Front rebel group.

Itinerary:

Monday 13 November and Tuesday 14 November: Khartoum
Wednesday 15 November: Khartoum – Kassala – Khartoum
Thursday 16 November: Khartoum – Darfur (Nyala) – Juba
Friday 17 November: Juba – Khartoum

Information for the press:
Mr Solheim will as far as possible be available for interviews during the trip. Subject to agreement, members of the press contingent will also be able to send picture files to their editors.

Press contact in Sudan: Information Adviser Wera Helstrøm, tel. +47 99 40 93 23.
Press contact in Oslo: tel. +47 91 39 50 00.