Status of Darfur region is only obstacle to peace accord – Qatari minister

November 28, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The establishment of one region remains the only obstacle for a peace settlement in Darfur said Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud, Qatar state minister for foreign affairs in El-Fasher on Sunday.

The creation of one administrative entity in Darfur remains the demand of all the rebel movements. The latter say this body will allow them to preserve their rights over the land and give them the needed tool to develop the region.

However, Sudanese government rejects this demand and says Darfurians can decide on this issue at the end of the transitional period through a referendum as it was agreed in the Darfur Peace Agreement signed on May 5, 2006 with the former rebel Minni Minnawi.

Addressing at meeting with the civil society representatives in El-Fasher on Sunday Al-Mahmoud said the talks between the Sudanese government and the rebel Liberation and Justice Movement in Doha failed to reach an agreement on the status of the region in Darfur.

Following a briefing about the peace process by the visiting delegation today, Some of the members of the state parliament asked the mediators to Increase the number of states in the province from three to five and to consult the Darfurians at the end of the transition period about the region as it is agreed in Abuja.

The Joint Chief Mediator Djibril Bassole and state minister Al-Mahmoud started today their tour in Darfur by El-Fasher, capital of North Darfur State where they met with civil society organizations, the state government and state legislative assembly.

Bassole highlighted during the different meetings they held in El-Fasher that their visit aims to brief all the political and social forces about the peace process in Doha but also they want to listen to their point of views and propositions to achieve a lasting peace there.

Al-Mahmoud for his part repeated that they do everything possible to reach a comprehensive deal including all the rebel groups. He informed the different meetings that he himself and Bassole met with Khalil Ibrahim, leader of Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) recently in Tripoli. He added that a delegation of the rebel group since November 13 met them twice to discuss the conditions of its return to Doha.

He also said that the mediation holds close contacts with Abdel Wahid Al-Nur who refuses to join the peace process. But Al-Mahmoud further said that Nur who is currently in Nairobi is planning to hold a meeting for his group in Paris to decide on the peace process.

Addressing the members of the civil society Bassole urged them to convince the rebel groups to rejoin the negotiating table saying only peace and development will restore the prosperity of the restive region.

The mediation will visit West Darfur and South Darfur during the next two days before to head for the Chadian capital to meet with the President Idris Deby. The latter implemented security arrangements and formed joint patrols along the border to prevent rebel groups from crossing the border.

The civil society groups and IDPs criticized the hybrid peacekeeping mission, UNAMID for its policy in the selection of the civil society representatives to the peace talks. They also asked to review the current approach.

Ibrahim Gambari, head of UNAMID renewed during the meeting the commitment of the joint mission to provide the necessary support to ensure the success of the peace process in Darfur. He also pledged to review the process of IDPs delegates’ selection.

(ST)