Civil society urges ceasefire and peace in Darfur

November 20, 2009 (DOHA) — Darfur civil society called on the Sudanese government and rebel groups to stop the fighting and to seek seriously a lasting peace agreement to end the six year conflict in the restive province in western Sudan.

The Joint mediation held a four day consultative meeting in the Qatari capital from 17 to 20 November in order to identify the means for supporting the peace process. Over one hundred group from the tribal, traditional, youth, women and displaced took part of the consultation.

The Darfur rebels denounced the dominance of pro-National Congress Party groups and asked the mediation to consider this factor when it comes to assess the outcome of the meeting.

“The final statement issued by the consultative meeting of the Darfurian civil society called on both the Government and the Movements to immediately ceasefire, cease hostilities and to cooperate earnestly with the international community and the mediators to reach a just peace,” said a statement released by the Mediation Friday.

The civil society reaffirmed that Doha will remain the sole venue for negotiations on Darfur peace, said the statement.

The mediation hopes the mobilization of the civil society would contribute to create favorable climate for the Doha process as its concerns are expressed in the action conducted to achieve peace.

Djibrill Bassolé said on Wednesday civil society consultations would continue in Darfur to ensure that the voice of wider segments of the Darfurian communities would be heard.

The civil society consultations shall continue in the form of sequential consultative meetings planned to take place in order to ensure that the voice of wider segments of the Darfurian communities, with regards to the peace process, would be heard.

(ST)