Darfur armed groups extend unilateral ceasefire for three months
November 9, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – Three armed groups in Darfur region Friday extended the unilateral cessation of hostilities for three months, and called for the resumption of talks to reach a political solution to the conflict based on the African Union-brokered roadmap agreement.
“The Cessation of Hostilities shall enter into force at 11:59 pm (SLT) on the 9th of November 2018 and will extend for 3 months to 11:59 pm (SLT) on 8th of February 2019. The Cessation of Hostilities shall apply throughout the conflict areas of Darfur,” said the joint statement.
The JEM and the SLM-MM have been committed to the unilateral cessation of hostilities for three years.
The first declaration of unilateral cessation of hostilities was on 17 October 2015. It was issued by the unified Sudanese Revolutionary Front including Darfur and the Two Areas of the Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
The SLM-TC led by Hadi Idriss joined the humanitarian truce for the first time last year.
On Sunday, a joint delegation from JEM and SLM-MM will travel to Doha for a meeting with the Qatari officials to discuss the modalities of the negotiations which would take place in Qatar once a humanitarian cessation of hostilities is reached in Addis Ababa.
The statement recalled the need for a “durable peace” in Sudan and reiterated their adherence to the “AUHIP Roadmap Agreement of 2016 as the means of achieving peace for all Sudan through a truly inclusive political process”.
Further, they called for the immediate resumption of negotiations for a peaceful settlement.
Two groups now accept to negotiate on the basis of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur after calling for a new process, also Khartoum recently made a concession as it agreed to form a new independent implementation mechanism for the deal that the parties would reach.
(ST)