AU opens Darfur peace implementation office
Aug 13, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) inaugurated the DPA Implementation office in Khartoum’s Riyadh area yesterday 12 August 2006. The office is funded by the US and the AU partners.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Senior Assistant to the President of Sudan, Minni Minawi, and officials of the SLA/M, signatories of the Declaration of Commitment (DOC), senior government officials, representatives of the Diplomatic Corps and AU partners, senior AMIS staff and UNMIS officials.
Addressing the gathering the Head of the AU Darfur Peace Agreement Implementation Team Ambassador Sam Bassey Ibok noted that while the DPA was a document of compromise, its implementation was an act of faith and in this connection he appealed to all stakeholders to join hands in this exercise in order to make a difference.
Ibok also said that the tendency of some Darfurians to misrepresent and distort the DPA is counterproductive and unacceptable, and he appealed to all Darfurians still outside the peace train to join hands and end the conflict in their homeland.
He thanked the AU partners and particularly, the USA, for their generosity in providing the premises for the DPA Implementation office in Khartoum and in Al-Fasher, describing this as clear testimony of the commitment of the international community to the people of Darfur.
While Minni Minawi stressed the importance of the voluntary repatriation of internally displaced persons to their homes and villages across Darfur, pledging to make a significant contribution in his new capacity to creating peace and stability in that troubled region.
Earlier, Dr. Omar Rahma, Secretary of the GoS Operations Room for the Implementation of the DPA also reiterated the Government’s commitment to the peace process and their appreciation for the US Administration’s support in placing the facility at the disposal of the DPA Implementation team, adding that co-operation in this exercise was vital at this critical time.
Abdelrahman Musa representing those who had signed the Declaration of Commitment to the DPA also spoke of the need to work together on behalf of the people of Darfur.
US Ambassador Cameron Hume, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in reply, commended the courage of all those in Darfur who had stood up for peace and supported the DPA. “The risks of war are worse than the risks of peace,” he said.
The AMIS Acting Head of Mission Madam Monique Mukaruliza closed the ceremony by expressing thanks to all those involved in making the implementation office a reality. She also particularly thanked the Government of the United States for generously providing the DPA implementation offices in Khartoum and Al-Fasher, which will facilitate the work of the implementation team.
(ST)