23 February 2010 -- "The Secretary-General welcomes the Framework Agreement for the Resolution of the Conflict in Darfur, which was agreed by the Government of Sudan and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) on 20 February 2010 in N'djamena and signed this evening in Doha. The Agreement represents an important step towards an inclusive and comprehensive peace agreement for Darfur, which will address the underlying causes of the conflict and the concerns of all Darfurian communities," according to a statement issued in New York today attributable to the Spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

"The Secretary-General looks forward to the full implementation of the Agreement's provisions, and encourages all parties to engage in the inclusive Doha peace process with flexibility and political vision, and to agree on a definitive political settlement of the Darfur crisis. The United Nations and the AU-UN Joint Chief Mediator will continue to assist the parties in their efforts to achieve this important objective,' the statement concluded.

New York, 23 February 2010