Darfur Regional Authority appoints justice and reconciliation bodies

The head of Darfur Regional Authority (DRA), Dr Tijani Sese, on Sunday appointed members of two bodies designed in the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) to achieve justice and reconciliation in the region. The DDPD provides for the establishment of an independent Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission. This commission is to be composed of a 21-member Justice Committee, and a 25-member Truth and Reconciliation body. Sese appointed former general El Tayeb Abdel Rahman as chairman of the Justice Committee, and tribal leader Ibrahim Abdallah as head of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee. The Truth and Reconciliation Committee will evaluate the root causes of the 11-year conflict, investigate the human rights violations committed in Darfur since the start of the war in 2003, and develop a culture of confidence-building and reconciliation in the region. Darfuris affected by the conflict will be able to submit claims to the Justice Committee, which will assess and determine the nature and amount of compensation. The victims have the right to file their claims during a ten-year period starting from a date to be fixed by the Committee. The DDPD was signed by the Sudanese government and the former rebel Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) in Doha, on 14 July 2011. Tijani Sese, leader of the LJM, was appointed chairman of the DRA. A dissident faction of the Justice and Equality Movement, at the time led by Mohamed Bashar (JEM-Bashar, now JEM-Sudan) joined the framework agreement on 6 April 2013. The DRA is described in the framework document as the principal instrument for the implementation of peace in Darfur, in cooperation with the Sudanese government. The DDPD also provides that the members of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission are designated in common accord between the peace partners. The two former rebel groups complain about the delay in the implementation of the peace agreements, particularly the implementation of the security agreement, and the lack of funds related to the return of the displaced. (Source: Sudan Tribune) File photo: DRA chairman Dr Tijani Sese (Albert González Farran/Unamid) Related:DRA stresses importance of signatories for peace in Darfur (21 April 2014) ‘Implementation of Darfur peace agreement hampered’: DRA Minister (24 March 2014) DRA bashes government for ‘absence during Darfur militia attacks’ (7 March 2014) 13 JEM-Sudan prisoners released in Khartoum and North Darfur (19 February 2014) DRA head announces 2014 development and rehabilitation budgets for Darfur (11 February 2014)