UNITED NATIONS, Thursday - Outgoing UN emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland has said he is prepared to confer with LRA senior rebel leaders “in the event of a significant humanitarian development such as a transfer of non-combatants, wounded and/or sick civilians into the care of specialised humanitarian agencies.”
Egeland was due in Nairobi on Friday at the start of his final official mission to Africa that will include a swing through southern Sudan, his office said on Thursday.
During his 10-day mission, the 49-year-old Norwegian plans to travel to the southern Sudanese town of Juba “at the request of the parties to the ongoing peace talks between the Ugandan government and the rebels,” it added.
In Juba, his aides said he would stress the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the 20-year-long conflict and discuss outstanding humanitarian issues.
Kampala and the LRA renewed a landmark August truce despite trading accusations of increasing serious violations of the pact, but negotiations intended to produce a comprehensive peace deal remain stalled. During his visit to Kampala, Egeland, who is to step down from his post before the end of the year, is to meet with representatives of the humanitarian and donor community.
Following his swing through southern Sudan and Uganda, Egeland is expected to visit Khartoum for talks with senior government officials, including President Omar al-Bashir, UN officials and humanitarian and donor representatives, UN officials said.
The UN official is also to travel to Sudan’s war-torn western region of Darfur to visit several refugee camps and meet with traditional leaders as well as representatives and field commanders from both signatories and non-signatories of the Darfur peace agreement.
Egeland, who was appointed under secretary general for humanitarian affairs in June 2003, would normally have ended his term of office as the same time as UN chief Kofi Annan hands over to his appointed successor Ban Ki-Moon of South Korea in January.
But his office said he would leave office before the end of December.
