SECURITY COUNCIL PRESS STATEMENT ON CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, CHAD

The following Security Council press statement was read out today by Council President Giadalla Ettalhi ( Libya):

The members of the Security Council heard a briefing by the Secretariat on 7 January 2008 on the preparations for the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) and the European Union force (EUFOR Chad/CAR), whose deployment in eastern Chad and north-eastern Central African Republic was authorized by resolution 1778 (2007) to contribute to the protection of vulnerable civilian populations and facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance.  They welcomed the progress made in the deployment of MINURCAT and encouraged contributors to make available to MINURCAT and EUFOR the personnel and resources required for the implementation of their mandates.

The members of the Security Council expressed on that occasion their serious concern at the recent upsurge of activities of the illegal armed groups in western Darfur and in eastern Chad, and at the resulting tension between Sudan and Chad.

The members of the Security Council called on Sudan and Chad to exercise restraint and pursue dialogue and cooperation, and called on all parties in Sudan and Chad to respect their commitments, in particular in the Tripoli Agreement of 8 February 2006, the Riyadh Agreement of 3 May 2007 and the Sirte Agreement of 25 October 2007.

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For information media • not an official record