UN-African Union envoy leads call for all Darfur militia to join peace process

A gathering of high-level international officials to Sudan, led by the head of the joint United Nations-African Union (AU) peacekeeping operation in the country's war-torn Darfur region, today urged all armed groups involved in the conflict to join the peace process initiated earlier this week by Khartoum and a major rebel militia.

Ibrahim Gambari, head of the UN-AU mission in Darfur (UNAMID), convened a meeting on Saturday ¬¬– including the special envoys for Sudan of China, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union – aimed at finding ways to strengthen peace, security, recovery and development efforts in the large, arid region on the western flank of the African country.

Participants at the one-day retreat welcomed the provisional peace agreement signed on Tuesday between the Sudanese Government and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

“They call on both parties to implement the agreement without delay,” read a press statement issued by UNAMID on behalf of the gathering, which also acknowledged improvements in the relationship between Sudan and neighbouring Chad.

“They express the hope that these developments should translate into a speedy positive impact on the ground and call on all parties to refrain from engaging in violence,” read the statement.

The group – meeting in the Rwandan capital of Kigali – also urged all other armed movements operating in Darfur to join the peace process without delay, underscoring the need for a comprehensive ceasefire backed by an effective monitoring mechanism with UNAMID playing a key role.