Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma to Lead African Union Ministerial Committee on the Post Conflict Reconstruction of Sudan, Tuesday, 22 - Saturday, 26 March 2005

Sudan - South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, departs South Africa today Tuesday 22 March 2005 for Khartoum where she will lead an African Union Ministerial delegation on a visit from Wednesday-Saturday 23-26 March 2005 as part of the
AU's post-conflict reconstruction efforts in Sudan.

Minister Dlamini Zuma, on behalf of South Africa, is the current Chairperson of the AU Ministerial Committee on Post-Conflict Reconstruction in Sudan, which includes Foreign Ministers of Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan.

The Committee of Ministers held its last meeting in Cape Town on 18 February in which the Ministers "agreed to visit Sudan so that we could understand what is required when we speak of post-conflict reconstruction in Sudan, said Minister Dlamini Zuma at a press conference in Pretoria on Tuesday.

"Post-conflict reconstruction is not just physical reconstruction - there are elements of psychological, political and social reconstruction. It is therefore important to understand what we are talking about" continued Minister Dlamini Zuma.

"In addition, Norway will be hosting a Donor Conference in Oslo on 11-12 April 2005. It will therefore be important for this committee to brief its international partners on what is practically required in Sudan," concluded Minister Dlamini Zuma.

The Ministerial visit to Sudan also follows the release of the "Framework for Sustained Peace, Development and Poverty Eradication in Sudan". This report is the outcome of work done over the past year by the Joint Assessment Mission (JAM), organised by the UN and World Bank, together with teams led by the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853
? Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001
22 March 2005