Gov. Bill Richardson says his efforts in Sudan “opened the door for the peace process to take hold and move forward,” according to the Albuquerque Tribune.
Richardson made the comments during an early morning news conference upon his return to Albuquerque.
Richardson succeeded in getting both sides in the conflict to agree to a 60-day ceasefire and peace talks, but could not get the Sudanese government to commit to allowing a U.N. peacekeeping force in the war-torn Darfur region.
“On the U.N. issue, while we didn’t get everything we wanted, we made inroads,” the newspaper quoted Richardson as saying. “… It is now up to the leaders of the United Nations and the African Union to monitor and ensure implementation by the Sudanese government and rebels, and to use this opening to pursue the durable political solution that will end the tragedy afflicting the people of Darfur.”
Richardson said the ceasefire and peace talks were more important than the allowing of peacekeepers in the nation.
“You can’t have peacekeepers if there is no peace to keep,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.
The Save Darfur Coalition, which asked for Richardson to intervene and paid for his trip, heaped praise on the governor in a statement posted on its Web site.
“There was positive movement on a number of issues, most notably the agreement to a ceasefire between the government and rebel groups that will immediately save lives,” said retired Ambassador Lawrence Rossin, Save Darfur’s senior international coordinator. “The agreement also creates an improved environment for a political settlement, based on the Darfur Peace Agreement, to move forward.”
Gov. Bill Richardson says his efforts in