Joint envoy urges Darfur parties to observe truce
September 15, 2007 (KHARTOUM) –The joint special representative for Darfur, Rodolphe Adada, has urged all the parties in Darfur conflict to commit themselves to the cessation of hostilities in the region.
In a statement issued on the advent of Ramadan, the UN/AU Joint Special Representative for Darfur and Head of the African Union Mission in the Sudan reiterated his call to Darfur belligerents to observe the ceasefire “to enable Darfurians to perform this pillar of faith and thus create a climate conducive to the success of the forthcoming peace talks.”
Adada expressed hope that this holy month “will bring the tidings of permanent peace which Darfur people have been deprived of for years as a result of a bloody conflict.”
He also called on the Sudanese government and the rebel groups to prepare themselves to the deployment of the hybrid peacekeeping force and the start of the peace talks scheduled in Tripoli on 27 October.
Government and rebel movement signed a ceasefire agreement in 2004, but truces have been regularly violated, by the two parties.
US special envoy to Darfur Andrew Nastios on Thursday 13 September called for the establishment a new ceasefire commission in Darfur to monitor ceasefire violations. He further said that the current ceasefire commission is collapsing.
Natsios hinted that the surge in fighting could jeopardize the upcoming peace talks in Libya between the rebel groups and the Khartoum government.
During a visit to Italy, president Omer al-Bashir pledged to observe ceasefire only at the commencement of Tripoli peace talks at the end of October. Nonetheless he indicated that this measure will concern only rebel factions participating in the new talks.
(ST)