Dakar, 4 August 2007 - Peacekeeping, political reconciliation and conflict prevention in Africa will be the key issues the UN Security Council will tackle, under the chairmanship of the Republic of Congo, for the whole month of August, Congolese Ambassador Pascal Gayama told a press conference at the UN headquarters.

The UN/AU-sponsored Arusha talks, which are being held in preparation for a peace agreement with the Sudanese government, are crucial following UN’s approval of the hybrid peacekeeping force deployment to the western Sudanese region of Darfur, the source said.

The source added that the Security Council would hold consultations on Wednesday on the outcomes of the Arusha talks, before examining the UN Secretary General’s first periodical report on the modalities of the deployment of the UN mission to Darfur (Sudan).

Concerning Somalia, where the National Reconciliation Congress met in Mogadishu, Gayama announced that talks are billed on 13 August "to consider the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) taking over command in the country".

As far as the situation in Chad is concerned, Gayama declared that following the government’s approval to deploy European Union troops to the east of the country, the UN "is thinking of a way to cooperate with these troops".

The escalating violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will be the major issue for the UN Security Council during the whole month of August, he nevertheless pointed out.

The Council is expecting proposals from the Secretariat in order to give a decision on the modalities of UN’s participation in the inquiry into the assassination attempt against Ivorian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro.

The high level thematic forum is slated for 28 August 2007 and will be devoted to the prevention and resolution of conflicts in Africa, Gayama concluded.

Source: African Press Agency