02 August 2010 - Over seventy participants, including Government representatives, local community leaders, members of North Darfur’s humanitarian community and UNAMID senior officials, today convened in El Fasher, North Darfur, for the launch of a high-level, three day workshop on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) and Community Security and Arms Control (CSAC).

The event, organized jointly with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the North Sudan DDR (NSDDR) and the CSAC, is aimed at helping participants promote peace and development. Those taking part include traditional and religious leaders, decision makers and newly elected government officials.

The session presented an overview of DDR and CSAC in the context of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) and the individual roles and future engagement of the represented parties in planned DDR/CSAC activities. Participants discussed their individual perspectives on successful DDR/CSAC programs and how to communicate their messages to local communities.

UNAMID’s leadership was represented by Deputy Chief of Staff Mr. Miguel Martin, who assured the delegates that UNAMID would continue to provide technical and logistical support to the Commission in accordance with its mandate. He added that such a workshop required the full commitment of all parties in order to create a fertile environment for social and economic recovery in Darfur.

In his address, the Wali (Governor) of North Darfur, Mr. Osman Yusif Kibir, drew attention to the programme’s importance in targeting local leaders, as they were the most in tune with their communities’ needs.

Other keynote speakers commended the NSDDRC’s effor