El Fasher, 1 June 2014 – As Sudan marked its first National Day for Peace on 31 May 2014, as stipulated in the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), UNAMID hopes that this occasion is a positive step towards attaining long awaited and much aspired for peace to the people of Sudan, especially the people of Darfur.

The Mission takes this opportunity to reiterate its relentless commitment to support to the cause of peace and dialogue in Darfur, within its capability, and encourages all the parties involved to work together in earnest to achieve peace.

On this auspicious occasion, the African Union-United Nations Joint Special Representative and Chief Mediator for Darfur, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, stated: “Let the observance of this day every year provide an opportunity for all Sudanese to reflect on how far the journey towards peace has been travelled.”

“Let it be a day for forgiveness, reconciliation and reaching out to all for the sake of peace and prosperity. We in UNAMID pledge to continue to work tirelessly with everyone in full transparency to help you achieve this noble aspiration.”

He further expressed the belief that “The full dividends of peace will only be realized when the guns are put away and security is restored to Darfur.”