(Left to right), Chairman of the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA), Tijani Sese, Special Assistant to the President of Sudan, Ibrahim Ghandour, the UNAMID Joint Special Representative (JSR), Mohamed Ibn Chambas, and Chairperson of the Darfur Internal Dialogue and Consultations (DIDC), Saddig Adam Abdalla, after the official launch of the DIDC committee. Photo by Albert González Farran, UNAMID

El Fasher, 26 May 2014 — The Darfur Internal Dialogue and Consultation (DIDC) Implementation Committee was launched on 26 May 2014 in a ceremony hosted by the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) in El Fasher, North Darfur.

The DIDC mechanism, stipulated in the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), is designed to consolidate peace in Darfur, promote confidence-building and encourage reconciliation as well as unity among the people of Darfur and Sudan in general through popular consultation and dialogue. The DIDC is facilitated by the African Union, the State of Qatar and UNAMID.

The Implementation Committee will be the governing and implementing arm of the DIDC process to ensure its ownership by Darfuris. It is an independent body comprising eminent people from Darfur and Sudan, such as representatives of the DDPD parties, leaders from civil society, youth and women’s groups, prominent academics, entrepreneurs, as well as leaders of internally displaced populations. The Chairman and two Deputies of the Committee who were elected are Saddig Adam Abdallah (Saddig Wada’a), Muhamed Ahmed Haroon and Suad Adam Albarjo.

The Committee will ensure all appropriate preparations, overseeing and conducting the dialogues and consultations, as well as guaranteeing thorough documentation and analysis of the process and outcomes. It will also ensure that the process remains inclusive, transparent and credible at all times.

Apart from the members of the Implementation Committee, the event was attended by the Assistant to the President of Sudan, Professor Ibrahim Ghandour, African Union representative, Ambassador Ibrahim Kamara, Ambassador of Qatar Rashid Abdel-Rahman Al-Neami, Chair of Darfur Regional Authority El-Tigani Seisi, and the African Union-United Nations Joint Special Representative and Joint Chief Mediator for Darfur, Mohamed Ibn Chambas.

 “This event marks the beginning of a process that is an important part of our effort to build peace in Darfur, promote confidence-building, encourage reconciliation and unity between communities in Darfur,” said Mr. Chambas.  “The DIDC process will also address issues related to civic responsibility, democratic values, and enhancing time-tested traditional dispute resolution practices.”

The JSR expressed his hope that the DIDC process will become a crucial building-block in the national dialogue. “The DIDC, properly conducted, should be a dress rehearsal for the Darfuris to participate effectively and articulate their concerns in the proposed national dialogue,” UNAMID’s Head added, noting that it is therefore imperative that conducive conditions exist for free expression of opinions without fear of harassment or intimidation throughout the process.