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UN's Annan Calls For Reconciliation In
Iraq
13.11.2005
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United Nations
Secretary-General Kofi Annan is making a surprise
visit to Iraq. It's his first since the U.S.-led
invasion ousted Saddam Hussein two years ago. The
trip comes amid continuing violence in Baghdad,
where a car bomb killed at least four people at a
market today.
Prague, 12 Nov (RFE/RL) - Annan arrived in
Baghdad on an unexpected visit amid tight security.
First a meeting, and then a joint press conference,
with Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Ja'fari.
The UN chief offered his support for efforts to
reconcile Iraq's rival communities, particularly
ahead of December's legislative elections.
"We have been working with the government to ensure
smooth political transition and of course we will
work with them on the upcoming elections," Annan
said. "We have a clear mandate from the Security
Council to work with the government and the people
of Iraq to ensure that Iraq takes charge of its own
future and develops a stable, peaceful society."
"Today UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan visits us
with an accompanying delegation on an inspection
visit to Iraq," Ja'fari said. "He has a good and
positive evaluation of the political process in Iraq
and the constitution. He affirmed that the United
Nations stands in support of Iraq and the democratic
process. He also asked if there are any suggestions
for more support from the United Nations and
[expressed] the readiness of the United Nations to
support Iraq and to keep the support of the new
Iraq."
Annan's visit follows a trip by U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice, who made similar appeals for
unity.
In the Iraqi capital on 11 November, Rice urged
Kurds, the majority Shi'ites, and the Sunni Arab
minority to bury their differences and turn out at
the polls in December's parliamentary elections:
"I've been meeting with nongovernmental
organizations that are assisting in the political
process and they talk about the very active Sunni
[Arab] participation now to form political
groupings, to put forward a list [of candidates], to
educate voters, to encourage voter turnout, and so I
think that the remarkable thing is that there is
such high activity among the Sunni [Arab]
population, and that should be encouraged," Rice
said.
This is the UN chief's first visit to Iraq since
U.S.-led forces ousted former dictator Saddam
Hussein in April 2003.
The United Nations withdrew international staffers
two years ago after its Iraq envoy and at least 20
others were killed in a Baghdad bombing.
Since then it's been operating in Iraq at greatly
reduced levels, and Iraqi officials have been
pressing it to increase its involvement in
humanitarian, political and reconstruction
activities.
But even as Annan arrived in Baghdad, there was more
violence.
A car bomb exploded in a vegetable market in the
east of the capital, killing at least four people
and injuring 40 other -- most of them women and
children.
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