Unamid head to meet non-signatory Darfur rebels in Addis Ababa

During the celebration of the ‘16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence’ in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, the Unamid Joint Special Representative (JSR), Mohamed Ibn Chambas, said in his opening speech that he will meet with the non-signatories among the Darfur armed movements in Addis Ababa next week to persuade them to catch-up with the Doha peace agreement. Ibn Chambas added that he will convey the message of the people of Darfur to those movements that have expressed their desire for peace, stressing Unamid’s commitment to cooperate with the Sudanese government and the people of Darfur in order to give the peace process in Darfur “a push forward”. The head of Unamid also stressed the need for more cooperation with all Darfuri components, including the Native Administration, for the sake of peaceful co-existence and reconciliation. He highlighted the importance of ending gender-based violence. “You can continue to count on our full cooperation in fighting violence against women and in finding a political resolution to ensure a lasting peace in Darfur,” he said. Unamid, in collaboration with the North Darfur Committee for the Elimination of Violence against Women, on Thursday had organised a celebration in El Fasher under the theme “Together We Protect Women Against Violence”. More than 500 women, men and schoolgirls participated in the celebration.   News photo: Women and girls at the El Fasher celebration of 5 December (Albert Gonzalez Farran/Unamid)