African Arab committee to seek international support for Darfur peace
January 15, 2009 (DOHA) — African -Arab- Ministerial Committee on peace in Darfur, headed by the State of Qatar agreed to send a delegation to the United Nations headquarter to mobilize international support for the peace process to end the six year conflict in western Sudan.
The joint ministerial commitee is charged with the organization and sponsorship of peace negotiations between the Sudanese government and the rebel movements. It is co-chaired by Qatari Prime Minister, co-chaired by the Qatari Prime Minister, Hamad bin Jasim, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and Arab League Secretary General.
The Darfur peace ministerial committee decided to entrust a ministerial delegation composed of the State of Qatar and the African Union and the Arab League to go to New York, to work in coordination with the Arab and African members of the Security Council, to mobilize international support required to promote the chances of achieving peace.
The meeting, which was headed by the Qatari Prime Minister, Hamad bin Jasim, called on all Sudanese parties to respond with efforts to hold peace talks as soon as possible and to assume their responsibilities to promote the chances of achieving peace in Sudan.
In a statement issued at the conclusion of its meeting in Doha on Wednesday, the African and Arab foreign ministers stressed their support to the efforts undertaken by the State of Qatar and the joint UN-African Union to launch peace talks as soon as possible in the Qatari capital Doha, and to call upon all parties to participate in such efforts.
The statement also urged to coordinate regional and international efforts to persuade some rebel movements which are reluctant to join the peace process.
The African Union and the Arab League sought to suspend the ICC jurisdiction last July on the level of the UN Security Council but their efforts failed due to the opposition of Britain, France and the USA.
The ministerial meeting also reiterated its call to the deferral of the ICC jurisdiction saying it would jeopardize the chances of achieving peace in Darfur and Sudan generally
Committee membership includes Saudi Arabia, Libya, Algeria, Syria, Morocco and Egypt in addition to a number of African countries, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal and Burkina Faso.
(ST)