The Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, Pekka Haavisto, arrived in the city of Port Sudan today (Monday) in his first visit since being appointed to the position last February, succeeding the Algerian Ramtane Lamamra. The visit is scheduled to last for three days, during which he will hold a number of meetings with officials and UN agencies working in the country.
Haavisto discussed with the head of the Sudan Liberation Movement, Minni Minnawi, the flow of humanitarian aid to those affected by the fighting and ways to stop it.
The meeting addressed the political path of the Sudanese crisis, as both sides emphasized the necessity of launching a comprehensive dialogue aimed at reaching a humanitarian truce.
Haavisto expressed deep concern regarding the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Sudan in general, and the Darfur region in particular.
