Commission, Qatar Ministers discuss Darfur peace file

The Implementation Follow-Up Commission of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur was held today in Khartoum, to discuss the challenges in the implementation of the Darfur peace file.

Challenges include the voluntary return of displaced people and the re-integration of ex-combatants were among the discussed issues.

The Government of Sudan was represented by Dr Amin Hassan Omer, Presidential Envoy for Negotiations and Diplomatic Communications, and Magdi Khalafalla, Head of Darfur Peace Follow-up Office. Furthermore El Tijani Sese of the National Liberation and Justice Party, Bahar Idris Abugarda of the Liberation and Justice Party, Bakhit Abdallah Abdelkarim of the Justice and Equality Movement-Sudan (JEM-Sudan) and lastly, Abdelgasim Imam El Haj of the Sudan Liberation Army-Second Revolution (SLM-SR).

Chairing the meeting was Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar, Ahmed Bin Abdallah El Mahmoud. Ambassador Kingsley Mamabolo, the Acting AU-UN Joint Special Representative and Joint Chief Mediator hosted the sessions. The last meeting of the commission was held on 9 May 2016.

For Qatar, El Mahmoud renewed his country’s pledge to continue its unwavering support for the DDPD to enhance stability in the region. He urged all participants to facilitate the full implementation of the remaining provisions of the peace agreement, which was first signed in 2011.

The Qatari Deputy Prime Minister urged “holdout movements to join the DDPD so that we can put an end to the conflict in Darfur”.

Representatives of the African Union, the European Union, the League of Arab States, Canada, Chad, China, Egypt, France, Japan, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, Organization of Islamic Conference and the United States of America attended the meeting.

Unamid

AU-UN representative Mambolo reiterated Unamid's commitment to continue to support and cooperate with DDPD parties and Implementation Committee members in implementing mandated tasks which are stipulated in the Doha peace agreement. “Unamid shall continue to engage with the provisions of the DDPD as the comprehensive way forward to establishing sustainable peace across Darfur,” he said.

Mamabolo pointed to the progress made in the implementation of the security arrangements and the ongoing reintegration of 3,000 demobilised ex-combatants, which was funded by the State of Qatar.