On 10 March 2016, UNAMID’s Joint Special Representative (JSR) and Joint Chief Mediator (JCM), Martin Uhomoibhi, conducted his first field visit to the Korma camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), North Darfur, to attend the culmination of week-long peace activities organized by the Mission’s Communications and Public Information Section (CPIS). The objective of the event, held under the theme, “Partnership for peace: Dignity for all,” was to bring the displaced together to work for peaceful co-existence through sport and culture. 

Hundreds of people, including the chief of Korma IDP camp, community leaders, women and youth groups as well as UNAMID staff attended the closing ceremony of the event, which included a cultural carnival, musical concert and traditional dances performed by different tribes residing in the camp. Football and volleyball tournaments, for young boys and girls respectively, also took place and CPIS distributed trophies and medals to the winning teams.   In addition to this, informational materials promoting peace and the mission mandate were also circulated widely among the gathering.

“The only solution to lasting peace is not through war, but through dialogue and conversation and through implementing all peace agreements,”

Addressing the occasion, Mr. Uhomoibhi called on all Darfuris to work together to achieve lasting peace and encouraged them to look for peaceful ways to resolve the conflict. “The only solution to lasting peace is not through war, but through dialogue and conversation and through implementing all peace agreements,” said the JSR.

Additionally, UNAMID’s head also spoke about the Mission’s readiness to support all communities willing to work for better lives and livelihoods for the people of Darfur and explained that peace is a process that comes from building trust and confidence between all parties. Mr. Uhomoibhi concluded his speech by thanking the residents of Korma camp and CPIS’s Community Outreach Unit for organizing and implementing such peace building activities and sport tournaments.

On his part, the Chief of Korma camp, Abdulsalam Bashar, called on all parties to work toward achieving peace and stability in the Darfur and expressed his appreciation for JSR’s visit to the displaced in the area.  Furthermore, he requested the Mission’s support the provision of education, water and health services to the people residing in the camp.

The Sheikh of Sheikhs at Korma camp, Isa Ibrahim, also commended UNAMID for its role in providing protection and security for the displaced in Korma and expressed their readiness to cooperate with the Mission to help achieve its mandate. Other speakers, including the President of the Youth Union, Korma IDP camp, Ahmed Idris, and noted musician, Mubarak Almansouri, who performed at the closing ceremony, also expressed their appreciation for UNAMID’s outreach and protection efforts.

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