PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Gambari says Doha Peace Accord on Darfur gives hope for regional peace
Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The Joint Chief Mediator (JCM), an interim for Darfur, Ibrahim Gambari, said Sunday the agreement signed between the Sudanese government and one of its armed opponents in Darfur region of Western Sudan gives hope that a permanent ceasefire and comprehensive and lasting peace in Darfur are realizable objectives.
In an address to the inaugural meeting of the Implementation Follow-Up Committee of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) in the Qatari capital, Gambari said the agreement “debunks the widely held view the conflict in Darfur is intractable and defies solutions.
“The DDPD must be implemented faithfully and in a timely manner. In doing so, it would serve as a litmus test for the viability of comprehensive and inclusive peace in Darfur. It is also my sincere hope that this would have a positive bearing on the creation of an enabling environment for the internal political process in Darfur and encourage hold out movements to shun further armed aggression and embrace the peace process” Gambari said in his statement.
He said the timely and faithful implementation of the provisions of all aspects of the DDPD would also open up the vista for several early recovery and development projects and reconciliation initiatives which would address the root causes of the conflict in Darfur and ensure the attainment of lasting peace and stability in the region.
The AU/UN official appealed to “all parties and all members of the IFC to bear this in mind as we go along the path of the implementation of the DDPD. The road ahead would be challenging but we must remain focused on the lofty goals to be achieved in the interest of the people of Darfur, who have suffered too deeply and for far too long.”
Gambari commended the sustained support and unwavering determination of Qatar and the international partners to find solutions to lasting peace in Darfur.
However, he stressed: “in order for these efforts to bear the desired fruits and help the people of Darfur, the partners must speak with one voice, particularly to condemn those who continue to pose threats to the peaceful resolution of the conflict and to acknowledge, reward and encourage those who show promising signs of keeping the peace and engaging in the process.
“Timely and faithful implementation of the provisions of the DDPD would also open up the vista for several early recovery and development projects and reconciliation initiatives, which would address the root causes of the conflict and ensure the attainment of lasting peace and stability in Darfur,” Gambari added.
Gambari, the Joint Special Representative of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), took on the additional role of interim JCM after the signing of the DDPD.
The Implementation Follow-Up Committee (IFC) brings together representatives from the government of Qatar, which hosted the Darfur peace negotiations for over two years, the government of Sudan, the armed movements, the African union, the United Nations, UNAMID and about a dozen organisations and national governments.
Key on the agenda of its meeting were discussions on a support package for DDPD implementation and a road map of the way towards a permanent ceasefire and comprehensive peace in Darfur, including targeted actions by international partners.
The IFC’s inaugural meeting marks yet another significant step forward following the signing of the DDPD in Doha between the Government of Sudan and the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) on 14 July.
The Cease-Fire Commission (CFC) has held its second meeting in El Fasher, North Darfur, where UNAMID has its headquarters and at its second meeting last week, CFC decided to sit every two weeks to give added momentum to its work.
-0- MO/BOS 11Sept2011
In an address to the inaugural meeting of the Implementation Follow-Up Committee of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) in the Qatari capital, Gambari said the agreement “debunks the widely held view the conflict in Darfur is intractable and defies solutions.
“The DDPD must be implemented faithfully and in a timely manner. In doing so, it would serve as a litmus test for the viability of comprehensive and inclusive peace in Darfur. It is also my sincere hope that this would have a positive bearing on the creation of an enabling environment for the internal political process in Darfur and encourage hold out movements to shun further armed aggression and embrace the peace process” Gambari said in his statement.
He said the timely and faithful implementation of the provisions of all aspects of the DDPD would also open up the vista for several early recovery and development projects and reconciliation initiatives which would address the root causes of the conflict in Darfur and ensure the attainment of lasting peace and stability in the region.
The AU/UN official appealed to “all parties and all members of the IFC to bear this in mind as we go along the path of the implementation of the DDPD. The road ahead would be challenging but we must remain focused on the lofty goals to be achieved in the interest of the people of Darfur, who have suffered too deeply and for far too long.”
Gambari commended the sustained support and unwavering determination of Qatar and the international partners to find solutions to lasting peace in Darfur.
However, he stressed: “in order for these efforts to bear the desired fruits and help the people of Darfur, the partners must speak with one voice, particularly to condemn those who continue to pose threats to the peaceful resolution of the conflict and to acknowledge, reward and encourage those who show promising signs of keeping the peace and engaging in the process.
“Timely and faithful implementation of the provisions of the DDPD would also open up the vista for several early recovery and development projects and reconciliation initiatives, which would address the root causes of the conflict and ensure the attainment of lasting peace and stability in Darfur,” Gambari added.
Gambari, the Joint Special Representative of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), took on the additional role of interim JCM after the signing of the DDPD.
The Implementation Follow-Up Committee (IFC) brings together representatives from the government of Qatar, which hosted the Darfur peace negotiations for over two years, the government of Sudan, the armed movements, the African union, the United Nations, UNAMID and about a dozen organisations and national governments.
Key on the agenda of its meeting were discussions on a support package for DDPD implementation and a road map of the way towards a permanent ceasefire and comprehensive peace in Darfur, including targeted actions by international partners.
The IFC’s inaugural meeting marks yet another significant step forward following the signing of the DDPD in Doha between the Government of Sudan and the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) on 14 July.
The Cease-Fire Commission (CFC) has held its second meeting in El Fasher, North Darfur, where UNAMID has its headquarters and at its second meeting last week, CFC decided to sit every two weeks to give added momentum to its work.
-0- MO/BOS 11Sept2011
