JSR Gambari meets negotiating teams in Doha

Doha, 9 February 2010 – UNAMID Joint Special Representative (JSR) Ibrahim Gambari continued his round of consultations with key stakeholders by meeting all the armed movements present in Doha.

In this context, he held discussions with the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) negotiating team led by its Chief Mediator, Ahmed Tagod Lissan; the Addis Ababa Roadmap signatories represented by Dr. Sharif Harir, Yousef Ibrahim Azzat and Tajadine Bashir Niam, as well as the Sudan Liberation Armed Revolutionary Front (SLA/ARF – Tripoli group) led by Abdulaziz Abu Namesh. JSR Gambari had earlier met with the government of Sudan negotiating delegation which was headed by Dr. Amin Hassan Omar.

The meetings, the first of their kind with JSR Gambari, the newly appointed Head of UNAMID, were transparent, constructive and promising, as all parties committed to work closely and in a coordinated manner to advance the peace process in Darfur, in support of Joint Chief Mediator Djibril Bassole.

A range of issues relating to the cooperation between UNAMID and the Darfur movements was discussed and all parties vowed to speed up the political process and enhance cooperation among themselves.

They all commended the constructive role of the State of Qatar and all the efforts aimed at bringing about a lasting and comprehensive peace sooner than later to Darfur. The movements reaffirmed the necessity of a cessation of hostilities in the context of a Framework Agreement, which shall address the root causes of the conflict in Darfur.

All parties expressed their desire and willingness to work together to ensure UNAMID implements its mandate and agreed to collectively cope with the challenges and difficulties facing the peace process. UNAMID and the movements also agreed to continue their engagement and cooperation for the best interest of the people in Darfur.