10:17 PM - 8 September 2015
Gulf Times - QNA/Doha

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Mahmoud yesterday said the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) has been able to withstand all the challenges and difficulties.

In his opening speech at the 10th meeting of DDPD’s Implementation Follow-up Commission, al-Mahmoud said all parties considered the document as being comprehensive and inclusive. It has further recognized the legitimate rights and put an end to the war. It has aptly addressed the humanitarian and marginalization issues, in addition to other national issues.

Thus, it has become the terms of reference and the framework for laying the foundations of sustainable peace in Sudan.
Al-Mahmoud said there are some variables that are still hindering the implementation of the peace document. However, the humanitarian and security situations in Darfur are now witnessing a noticeable improvement evidenced by the decrease of large military operations, with only sporadic and limited operations, according to reports.

Also, there is tangible progress as far as the process of reconstruction and development is concerned, he said.
“Hence, we call on the parties to the Doha Document to accelerate their efforts of addressing the pending issues. We would like to remind them of the UN Security Council resolution, which confirmed its support for the document as a solid framework for the peace process in Darfur and further appealed to the parties to expedite its implementation”, al-Mahmoud said.

The deputy prime minister called upon the parties to take into consideration the opinions and comments of the popular committees of the civil society institutions concerned with the implementation of the Doha Document and to consult with these committees on the optimal ways for pushing forward the implementation process.

“Our main concerns, as far as the implementation of the document is concerned, are the disruption of the peace process by some non-signatory armed movements which resort to violence, the fragmentations and divisions besetting these movements which further delays their joining the peace process.

“It is unfortunate that even those movements that have joined the peace process are stricken by divisions. Instead of mutual co-operation and co-ordination, a fierce competition marked the activities of these movements, each of which was seeking to assert an exclusive prerogative of implementing the peace accord and achieving the power which is originally the ownership of the people of Darfur.

“A case in point is what happened during the inauguration ceremony of the second phase of Darfur development projects in Khartoum late last month”, he said.

Al-Mahmoud appealed to the non-signatories to consider with strategic and objective vision the peace option and to compare it to the consequences of war and its wanton repercussions.

In this context, he expressed appreciation of the consultations conducted by the Joint Special Representative with leaders of the non-signatory armed movements in Paris last month to work with them to reach a lasting settlement of the conflict, as long as that will be done on the basis of the Doha Document.

“Now, the environment has become conducive for the achievement of that goal, particularly after the declaration by the Government of Sudan (GOS) that it is committed to a unilateral declaration of a two-month ceasefire, with a view to building confidence and enabling an inclusive participation for all in the national dialogue.

“We expect positive reactions from the armed movements regarding this declaration to confirm their commitment to engage in the negotiation to find a peaceful solution to the conflict”, he said.

“We cannot miss this opportunity to touch on an important issue, pertaining to some of the prisoners belonging to movements joining the peace process who are held by non-signatory movements. We demand the immediate release of the members of the Justice and Equality Movement (formerly Mohamed Basher’s Movement), who are imprisoned by the Justice and Equality Movement (Jibril’s wing), especially in light of the recent information conveyed by those who managed to break free, purporting the existence, in the Movement’s prisons, of torture and abuse of prisoners and hostages, whose only guilt was that they have shunned violence and chosen the path of peace”, he added.

“We have taken notice of the decision of the Government of Sudan extending the mandate of the Darfur Regional Authority by another year from last July, following the expiry of its original term. Such a move underlines the determination to proceed forward with the implementation of the Doha accord, and the insistence of the parties concerned on fulfilling their respective obligations under the peace agreement”.

Al-Mahmoud said one of the priorities is the issue of sustainability of social security and peace, particularly in light of the violent tribal conflict taking place in Adeela and Abu-Karenka, which resulted in hundreds of casualties and injured persons from the Rezaigat and Maalya tribes.

“It is true that this conflict may be one of the longest tribal conflicts in Darfur, caused by disputes over lands. Yet all possible avenues for the final cessation of such sanguinary conflicts should be explored”, he said stressing the need to abide by the decisions of reconciliation and settlement of disputes adopted by conferences on reconciliation and peace.

“We equally stress the need to impose prestige of the state, provide all basic services and demand that all the people of Darfur, regardless of their various tribes, adhere to unity and solidarity, while at the same time, combating all forms of disunity and discord. They should further be reminded of the bonds of kinship, neighborliness and intermarriage, as being the most important pillars of achieving forgiveness, amnesty and conciliation among tribes.

“These tribes are effective civil, native and social institutions and, hence, they should be an integral part of the system of government and administration in Darfur as well as a crucial element of the conflict resolution mechanisms”, he added.
“At the core of our priorities in the next phase is to focus on the reconstruction and development file, considered the other supplementing facet of the peace process. Yesterday, we discussed here, at the meeting of the Reconstruction Board, the proposed projects, what has been already implemented, in addition to causes of delay as regards the execution of other projects. We don’t claim to be fully satisfied with what has been already executed; it is our conviction that the situation could be even better had it not been for the many challenges facing the implementation”, al-Mahmoud said.