23 May 2006
The PM invited chair of the African Union, Alpha Konare, to Number 10 to talk about the vital Darfur peace agreement, before speaking to journalists.
Parts of this transcript may have been edited
Transcript of their joint doorstep
Tony Blair:
Good Afternoon everyone. Thank you very much for coming to this short press conference with President Konare, and can I welcome you Mr President here to Downing Street, and thank you for what have been very useful and very constructive talks.
Obviously a lot of focus has been on Darfur and Sudan and what we can do, the African Union, the United Kingdom, the United Nations and the rest of the international community, to try to make sure that we make the peace agreement in Sudan work, that we get the right mission there to keep the peace, and therefore the right hope for people in Sudan. This continues to be a situation, which exercises us, and obviously the African Union very strongly indeed. And I would pay tribute, if I may, to the work that President Konare has done in trying to bring about a solution to this very troubled situation. We are going to provide some additional £20 million of help to the mission, and essentially I think with everything that is going on in the world today, sometimes Sudan and Darfur do not get the attention they need. It is in my view an absolute priority for this Government, and I know for the African Union as well.
Secondly, we talked obviously about the need to continue the push from the G8 on Africa and make sure that we keep this process of engagement with the problems of Africa right at the forefront of our minds, and I said to the President that I would continue to make Africa a key priority for my Government and my Ministers.
And finally we touched on the need to strengthen the relationships between the African Union and the European Union. And we have I think a very common agenda together, and certainly I have found the President a most constructive and good friend to work with. And once again, Sir, welcome here and thank you for the work that you are doing.
President Konare:
I would like to thank you very much Prime Minister for having invited me here, and I would like to thank you very much for your commitment to us, your commitment, current commitment and your commitment in the past. You have always showed an extraordinary constancy. In fact last year at the G8 you once again proved that you were extremely helpful with regard to resolving conflicts. You have given us all kinds of help, you have given us material help, you have also given us help as far as advice is concerned. And you have worked also hand in hand with a great number of others in order to do so, and I would like to also reiterate the fact that the Abuja Agreement was certainly greatly thanks to you. You really played a decisive role in order to achieve this agreement between the government and the rebel groups.
Question:
Can I ask you whether you are at one on the desirability of a UN peace keeping force for Darfur and its potential timing. And also what might give you any confidence, if Sudan agrees to it, that it could actually bring an improvement on the ground given the shakiness of the present peace agreement and the fact that violence continues there?
President Konare:
I believe that the choice of having a United Nations force come today is not simply a decision which was made by the United Nations, but a decision that has been made by the Commission for Peace and Security, the African Union Peace and Security Commission, and it is a decision that will be applied after discussions with the Sudanese government, and it is in order to help our Sudanese brothers sort out their own problems, and the African Union did what it could.
And now we have come to a stage where we have to actually maintain peace, and that is something that is being done by the United Nations, but not by the African Union, and it is something that we have explained to our Sudanese brothers and it is something that will be done, but at the same time it will be done in collaboration with them. The leadership and the commitment of the African Union will be full, whole, and the forces will be developed upon what actually already exists, and the African Union will be involved in the Darfur-Darfur dialogue, and to have sufficient forces will then ensure that the commitments that were made will become a reality. In order to ensure the success of the Abuja Agreement we have to make sure that it really does become operational and the way in which it is going to become a reality and become operational will be through these forces. That will come.
Tony Blair:
I agree with that entirely. I think what is necessary is for all the different groups to sign up to the Abuja Peace Accord. It is then necessary for the UN to be able to make the technical assessment and put under way the logistics and the planning for the UN force, and it is necessary for the African Union and the UN to work very, very closely together in order to facilitate all of this. Because we need a peace agreement and we need a force, sufficiently strong and capable of them maintaining the peace so that the Accord can work. And it is as simple as that, and if we do it we will succeed in saving many lives and stabilising that part of Africa, and if we fail the consequences are very severe, not just for Sudan and for people there, but right across the region.
Question:
I was just going to say, was any timescale discussed on when UN forces are likely to be on the ground alongside and working with African Union troops?
President Konare:
We hope that they arrive as soon as possible, but of course it takes a certain time to set up as far as the United Nations are concerned. But we must accelerate that process and before doing so the capacity of the African Union has also got to be reinforced, because as the Prime Minister has just said, the credibility of the agreements, it will be credible if we can ensure that the commitments become a reality, that they are applied. So we must lose no more time, because if there is any doubt everything then can be questioned again. And we must not forget the humanitarian aspect. In two months it will be the rainy season. If confidence doesn’t reign again, then as far as security is concerned the situation could really worsen.
Tony Blair:
I totally agree with that. The short answer is as soon as possible
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