We are happy to note that thanks to the concerted efforts of the international community, preparations for deploying the Hybrid Mission in Darfur are well underway. The Sudanese Government has pledged to give full support to the Mission, which is essential to its smooth deployment. The AU-UN Hybrid Mission is unprecedented in terms of scale and form and it may encounter new problems and challenges. We should therefore continue to give full play to the role of the tripartite mechanism among the United Nations, the African Union and the Sudanese Government as the main channel, step up dialogue and consultation on an equal footing, increase mutual confidence, and finalized the specific arrangements to ensure full, speedy and smooth deployment of the Hybrid Mission.

The security situation in Darfur is generally moving towards stability, but sporadic armed conflicts continue. The international community should urge all the parties concerned to immediately implement a comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire in order to create an enabling atmosphere for deploying the Hybrid Mission and resuming political negotiations.

The Chinese Government has played its part in encouraging the parties concerned to reach agreement on deploying the Hybrid Mission in Darfur. At the request of the United Nations, the Chinese Government will dispatch a 315-member multi-functional military engineering unit to Darfur to take part in the implementation of the second phase of the Annan Plan. The UN Secretariat confirmed the list of equipment procurement to China at the end of August. It has also made new request that the Chinese unit be deployed starting from early October. China will maintain consultations with the Secretariat and is making speedy arrangement to deploy its unit. China is also giving favorable consideration to sending military liaison officers to Darfur to take part in the third phase of the peacekeeping mission of the Annan Plan.