Sudan, EU discuss peace in Darfur

April 15, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Presidential Assistant Faisal Hassan Ibrahim and the European Union (EU) envoy to Khartoum Jean-Michel Dumond Sunday have discussed efforts to achieve peace in Darfur.

Director of the European department at the Foreign Ministry, Khalid Musa Dafaallah said Ibrahim briefed the EU envoy on the government’s efforts to achieve peace, security and stability in Darfur.

He pointed out that Ibrahim welcomed the informal consultations meeting between the government and the Darfur rebels which would convene in Berlin on Monday.

According to Daffallah, Dumond briefed the Sudanese official on the EU efforts to provide development assistance in Darfur besides its support for water harvest and food security projects.

For his part, the EU envoy expressed hope that the Berlin meeting could lead to a permanent ceasefire in order to achieve development in the restive region.

He added that peace and stability in Sudan are among the top priorities of the ongoing dialogue between Sudan and the EU.

It is noteworthy that the Berlin meeting would bring the Sudanese government and two armed groups from Darfur region, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) to negotiate a pre-negotiation agreement.

If the parties strike a deal, it would pave the way for talks on a cessation of hostilities and then they will join the negotiations table to discuss political issues in Doha.

The German government which is a facilitator for the African Union efforts to end armed conflicts in Sudan hosted several meetings in the past for the opposition groups or between the government and opposition.

The Sudanese army has been fighting a group of armed movements in Darfur since 2003.

UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in the conflict and over 2.5 million were displaced.

(ST)