Darfuri civil society forum starts its work at Doha with 433 participants

Civil society organizations from Darfur began their second Consultative Forum in the Qatari capital, Doha, aimed at helping achieve a settlement of the seven-year conflict. The Qatari hosts and international mediators have welcomed 433 civil society delegates, as well as negotiators of the Sudanese government and the Liberation and Justice Movement. The last consultation in Doha, held over four days in November 2009, resulted in a number of recommendations, including a ceasefire and endorsing Doha as the sole venue for peace talks. This consultation is different because the rebel LJM, which did not exist at the time of the 2009 forum, appears closer to a peace deal with the government, whereas the Justice and Equality Movement has left the Doha process.As the consultations got underway yesterday, some Darfuri refugees in eastern Chad complained that they were not sufficiently represented at the Doha activities. A leader of Toloum camp in eastern Chad said that in this phrase of consultatations there are only 5 representatives for a refugee camp in the the best case, 36 total, averaging 3 per camp of the 12 camps in eastern Chad. There had earlier been some dispute within the camps, at least in camps Djabal and Bredjing, about whether to send representatives to the talks or not. Some refugees had objected to the fact that neither JEM’s Khalil Ibrahim nor Abdel Wahid Al Nur were participating at Doha, but the latter rebel leader has since signalled his willingness to participate.

Photo: Mediators of the Doha process, including Djibril Bassole and Qatari State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud (Qatar News Agency)