31 August 2008 -- On the eve of the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, the most venerated and blessed of the Islamic year, I should like to extend to the population of Darfur and the whole Sudanese nation my congratulations on this propitious occasion. May the spirit of this holiest of time, the spirit of peace and calm, purity of thought and deeds, touch all of us and make us more generous and charitable.

It is in that spirit that I should like to take this opportunity to appeal to all Parties to the Darfur conflict to cease hostilities, put an end to the suffering of the Darfurians, and pave the way for a lasting peace in this beleaguered region.

Now is the time to talk, not the time to fight. Now is the time for the people to speak to each other and for the weapons to fall silent. Now is the time to accept and respect the truce of Ramadan, so that the people of Darfur cease to suffer and start reclaiming their lives.

In this month of enlightenment and prayer, of kindness and helping others, the relentless pursuit of peace should guide our thoughts and shape our acts, but this peace can only be achieved by the Sudanese themselves. UNAMID and the international community will help revive the Darfur peace process, but it is the people of this great nation who will ultimately achieve the return to peace, stability and prosperity in Darfur.

May the holy month of Ramadan 1429 mark the beginning of this journey towards peace.

Ramadan Karim