Security Council calls on all sides in Darfur conflict to join latest peace accord

The United Nations Security Council today joined Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in calling on all parties in the deadly conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region to join in the peace process following the signing of a cessation of hostilities accord between the Government and a major rebel group.

“The members of the Security Council called on the parties to move to quickly implement the agreement in full as an important step towards peace in Darfur,” Ambassador Gérard Araud of France, which holds the Council’s rotating presidency for February, said in a press statement, welcoming the accord signed in Doha, Qatar, by the Government and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) on Tuesday.

“They further called on all other parties in Darfur to join the Doha peace process and the agreement.”

Other rebel groups have still not signed agreements with the Government to end the nearly seven years of fighting that has killed at least 300,000 people and driven 2.7 million others from their homes.

Hailing the agreement on Tuesday, Mr. Ban said he looked forward to its full implementation and called on all parties “to engage in the inclusive Doha peace process with flexibility and political vision, and to agree on a definitive political settlement of the Darfur crisis.”