Unamid conference assesses Darfur peace process implementation

On 30 and 31 October, more than 100 participants from North Darfur state took part in a conference to assess the peace process in Darfur within the framework of the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).  The forum in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, jointly organised by Unamid and the North Darfur Civil Society Follow-up Mechanism on Strategic Planning, brought together native administration representatives, women and youth groups, NGOs, technocrats, community leaders, displaced people and members of political parties.  In his opening remarks, Unamid’s Deputy Joint Special Representative, Joseph Mutaboba, highlighted the importance of the event. “I believe that through group discussions and brainstorming, the participants will be able to propose a set of recommendations for better DDPD implementation whose success depends on a stronger and enhanced civil society in Darfur,” he said.  “We aim to build on the success of the Doha I and II Civil Society Conferences, which contributed immensely in the content and the popular acceptance of the Doha outcome documents and the peace agreement,” Mutaboba added.  The Head of the Darfur Regional Authority Council, Sultan Saad Bahreldin, stated: “This conference emphasises that Darfur civil society has become a key player and partner in the DDPD implementation. We, in the Darfur Regional Authority, believe that peace is prevailing in many parts of Darfur.”  The participants recommended strengthening the civil administration; provision of roads, bridges and other infrastructure; addressing the youth’s concerns including unemployment, lack of training and drug abuse; the full implementation of the DDPD and its inclusion in the Constitution of Sudan; the eradication of extreme poverty, and the empowerment of the civil society in order to raise awareness on peace and reconciliation among Darfuris.  File photo