Sudan to hold conference for popular support to peace in Darfur
June 22, 2012 (KHARTOUM) — Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) will hold next month a conference involving tribal and civil society groups in the implementation of peace in the region, an official stated on Friday.
The Conference of Darfur People, is seen as the continuation of previous consultative meetings organised during the Doha peace process in order to gather the popular support to the talks between the government and rebels.
The Higher Preparatory Committee for the Conference of Darfur People decided to hold the meeting during the period of 10 to 14 July in El- Fasher , said the Rapporteur of the Conference.Tadjadine Bechir Niam.
Speaking to the press following the meeting of the higher committee, Niam said the participants agreed that the conference should be inclusive of all the components of Darfur.
He further said a meeting will be held next week to discuss the different contributions to be presented during the conference. The committee will tour the five states of Darfur for consultations and the raise the awareness about the conference, he further said.
The Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) was signed on 14 July 2011 between the Sudanese government and the former rebel Liberation and Justice Movement.
The other rebel group which took part in the talks, Justice and Equality Movement refused to join the framework agreement but a dissident faction is expected to join the deal.
The implementation of the peace agreement suffered from the delay caused by the lack of money as the government faces a severe economic crisis after the independence of South Sudan.
The conference was initially scheduled to be held in April, but was postponed to June and then July.
International community showed some support to the process but failed to convince the other rebel groups to join the deal.
A donor conference is expected to be organized in Doha next December to collect the funds needed to implement recovery and development projects.
(ST)