EU delegation visits South Darfur this week

A delegation of European ambassadors is scheduled to visit South Darfur this week, headed by Tomas Ulicny. He hopes the visit will spike more EU development aid to the region and political support to Darfur’s peace agreements. This is also the first week of the new European Commission under President Jean-Claude Juncker, that took office on Saturday. Ambassador Ulicny said the visit comes “at an important time to renew the EU commitment to promote a peaceful, just, and comprehensive solution to the crisis in Darfur. “The European Union dialogue with Sudan has been enhanced lately and we look for more progress in the political, development and humanitarian cooperation,” Ulicny reported to journalists, ahead of the delegation’s visit to South Darfur. He revealed that ambassadors of Italy, France, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain will take part in the visit. They are planned to meet the Governor of South Darfur, the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA), and several international and national organisations. Ulicny pointed out that there was an increase in the EU development aid after last year’s visit to Kassala Red Sea in eastern Sudan in November. It also allowed the eastern leaders to seek political support for the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement (ESPA), which was signed in October 2006. “We hope we can do the same to Darfur […] for the full implementation of the Doha documents,” Ulicny said. File photo: European Union Ambassador Tomas Ulicny accompanied by Mansour Khaled, Former Presidential Advisor and Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sudan, at a recpetion (EU) Related: EU Ambassadors in Sudan plan to visit Darfur in November (20 October 2014) EU delegation pledges €80 million for Sudan’s eastern states (10 November 2013)