Chad welcomes Darfur peace accord

May 8, 2006 (N’DJAMENA) — The Chadian government, has welcomed the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement between the Sudanese government and the main faction of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement.

A statement issued by the Chadian Foreign Ministry signed by the minister Ahmat Allami said “Chad welcomes the signing of the Abuja peace deal on Darfur between the warring Sudanese parties after a long period of negotiations.”

The minister added that the signing of the peace agreement represents the first step towards consolidation of comprehensive and lasting peace for the benefit of the people of Darfur.

He expressed regrets for the refusal by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Abd-al-Wahid Mohamed al-Nur led Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) faction to sign the agreement. The statement urged the two groups to sign the agreement for the interest of the people of Darfur.

Allami reiterated Chad’s readiness to work for peace in region and asserted its total cooperation with the international community for the implementation of the peace agreement.

The civil war in Darfur began in 2003 and has compelled more than 200,000 Sudanese to live as refugees in eastern Chad. There have been tensions between Khartoum and Ndjamena with both countries accusing each other of backing rebels from either side.

Earlier in May Chad’s foreign minister said that a peace deal in Sudan’s Darfur region would help stem the flow of rebels and refugees over the border into Chad but must be enforced by a strong U.N. peacekeeping mission.

Chad played mediation role in the Darfur conflict for a long time but, withdraw from the Abuja negotiations last April after severing diplomatic ties Sudan, which it accuses of supporting Chadian rebels the United Front for Democratic Change who launched an attack against Ndjamena on 13 April.

(ST)