Sudan: Security Council Urged to Step up Darfur Peace Agreement

By George Okore

DARFUR---United Nations-African Union Envoy for Darfur Dr Ibrahim Gambari wants efforts stepped up to reach a comprehensive peace agreement in the strife-torn Sudanese region.

Briefing the Security Council on last week’s Doha Document for Peace in Darfur Agreement, the envoy called for continued engagement of the hold-out armed movements – the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid and the Sudan Liberation Army/Minni Minawi – and the Sudanese Government to agree to a cessation of hostilities.

The other challenges are to ensure local ownership of the peace process by Darfurians at the grassroots level through a credible, transparent and free internal political process and the need for an enabling environment to make possible a Darfur-based process. “These are by no means simple challenges but work on them is already in progress and UNAMID will use the intervening period to assist the stakeholders in the dissemination of the draft document to the population of Darfur to broaden support for it,” Mr. Gambari stated.

The UNAMID chief pledged that the mission will continue to do everything within its mandate to facilitate the return of peace and stability in Darfur. “Robust and increased patrols will remain the rule of the mission, as well as continuing collaboration with  UN Country Team and humanitarian actors to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities, ” he  said.

Since 2003, when the deadly conflict erupted in Darfur between rebels, Government forces and allied militiamen, an estimated 300,000 people have been killed and about 2.7 million others have been displaced. The truce signed by Sudanese Government and rebel group Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) has been hailed as landmark agreement and significant step towards resolving the Dafur crisis. The protocol agreement signed in Qatari capital, Doha commits both sides to observe permanent ceasefire and comprehensive peace agreement to end the eight year old fighting.

The breakthrough in finding lasting peace in the volatile region comes six weeks after Darfur stakeholders endorsed a framework document for resolution of the armed conflict in western Sudan. It was signed by presidential adviser Ghazi Salah Al-Deen who is in charge of Darfur file and LJM president Tijani El-Sissi in front of Emir of Qatar and Sudanese, Chadian, Eritrean and Burkina Faso presidents. World leaders led United Nations Secretary General Ban-ki Moon have supported the move  aimed at ending the Darfur conflict and urged other groups that have not yet joined the peace process to do so.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Omer Al-Bashir expressed his determination to overstep the days of war and destruction and pledged to work with all stakeholders to achieve the aspirations of Darfur people for security and development. LJM leader El-Sissi described the agreement strong basis for peace in Darfur stressing that LJM believes in an inclusive deal and it was necessary to get the others (JEM) on board. He also underlined the efforts exerted by his movement to coordinate with them.

Coming only a week after the separation of south Sudan, the agreement will greatly shape politics development in the region. ‘We extend support to the building of a strong foundation for an inclusive and comprehensive resolution to the conflict,” Ibrahim Gambari - head of UN-AU mission (UNAMID) said at the signing ceremony