UNAMID chief and rebel SLM leader agree to cooperate in Darfur
March 20, 2010 (PARIS) — The UNAMID chief Ibrahim Gambari and the leader of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) Abdel Wahid Al-Nur agreed to cooperate together to enhance the humanitarian situation and the protection of the civilians in Darfur.
At the French presidency, Gambari met with Jean-David Levitte who is the Diplomatic Adviser and André Parant, the Presidential Adviser for African Affairs. While, he met at the foreign ministry with Sylivie Bermann, director of UN and international organisations department, and Stephan Gompertz, director of African affairs.
Following a meeting held in Paris on Friday Gambari and Al-Nur agreed to cooperate on the ground in order to provide humanitarian assistance and allow UNAMID patrols aiming to protect civilians and residents of Darfur camps, the two parties told Sudan Tribune in separate statements.
The head of the hybrid mission said they had a very interesting and long discussion while Al-Nur said they had a very Franck and constructive meeting.
The two sides tackled the peace process and the need that the rebel leader join Doha peace talks and the security situation in the troubled region as well as best ways to cooperate to facilitate the UNAMID mandate regarding the protection of civilians.
Al-Nur said he had the opportunity to strongly condemn the recent ambush on the UNAMID troops in Jebel Marra. He also refuted accusations by the Sudanese government and explained to Gambari that his fighters cannot be involved in that attack against the peacekeepers who are there to accomplish what we request “security in Darfur”, even if “we are against the weak mandate of the peacekeeping mission and ask to upgrade it to Chapter 7 instead of the current Chapter 6”, Al-Nur said.
He also said they agreed to cooperate in the areas of concern to facilitate the duties of UNAMID forces in order to better protect the civilians in the restive region. Gambari stressed on his statement to Sudan Tribune on the need to have good cooperation with all the parties to better achieve the mandate of the mission.
The meeting took place following an attack on March 6 by unknown armed elements on a UNAMID patrol while it was in a mission to assess the humanitarian situation in the area of Deribat in south Darfur following fighting between Sudanese government troops and the rebel SLM-AW.
Nouredine Mezni who travelled with head of the joint peacekeeping operation told Sudan Tribune the meeting was the first of its kind between the UNAMID Joint Special Representative and the SLM-AW leader. The former head of UNAMID Rodolphe Adada had met only with JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim.
Al-Nur who is not part of the ongoing peace process in Doha, demands that Khartoum disarms its militia and create suitable security environment for the return of the displaced persons and refugees to their homeland before to engage negotiations for peace in Darfur.
The UNAMID chief requested him to join the peace process in Doha and to use his influence among the Darfurians to encourage civil society and IDPs in the troubled region to participate in a forum to be held soon there as part of the peace process.
Al-Nur said he is a peace lover and welcomed international and regional efforts to resolve the seven year conflict there. However he reiterated the need for a genuine peace and exhorted to press Khartoum to stop violence on civilians before to stage talks.
He also, welcomed the involvement of civil society as necessary step to consolidate and facilitate the implementation of any political agreement on peace in Darfur. He however pointed out that priority at this phase should be dedicated to achieve “genuine peace” peace. He added he is not concerned by the “ceremonial agreements” held between the Sudanese government and other two rebel groups.
FRANCE– UNAMID
Speaking about his meeting with the French officials, The Joint Special Representative said he tackled issues related to the peace process, Sudan Chad relations and the UNAMID mandate.
Gambari said he encouraged the French officials to encourage Al-Nur to join the Doha peace talks stressing the need to have a comprehensive process including all the parties.
Further, he said relations between Chad and Sudan relations requires international support particularly from Paris “because when the relations between these countries are good it impacts positively on Darfur and if they are not good it impacts negatively”.
The UNAMID chief also sought the French support for the four priorities that he has established for UNAMID. “The first is to be proactive in the peace process, the second is handling security and protection to the civilian population in Darfur, the third is to lay the foundation for aid and recovery and development and the fourth is closer cooperation between Sudan and Chad.”
Speaking about his participation in the donor conference in Cairo, Gambari welcomed the meeting expressing hope it would lay the foundation for aid recovery and development in Darfur.
He said UNAMID would encourage implementing projects in water management, power generation, education and health besides capacity building programs for women, the youths and children.
He also said UNAMID should not only restrict its role to the military and humanitarian aspects but it can be involved in the recovery phase because it is another approach to achieve security and peace by promoting development.
(ST)