Darfuri women demand peace ‘as soon as possible’

A delegation of Darfuri women presented its recommendations to the Sudanese peace negotiations in the South Sudanese capital Juba yesterday. They urged the negotiating parties to accelerate the pace of the peace talks, and sign a peace agreement "as soon as possible".

Speaking on behalf of the Darfuri women, Safaa El Agib stated that “we came to Juba to include the agenda of Darfuri women in the final peace document”. She stressed the need to reconstruct Sudan and tackle the economic crisis.

South Sudanese mediator Dhieu Mathok said in a press statement on Sunday that the recommendations made by the Darfuri women will be included in the negotiations on transitional justice, retribution, the displaced, and power and wealth sharing.

A joint committee formed by the government and the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) rebel alliance presented its proposals on an extension of the current negotiations round on Sunday.

Mediator Mathok said that both parties agreed in principle to give the government and rebel delegations more time to complete the negotiations on the outstanding agenda points. He also said everyone is optimistic about reaching a comprehensive peace agreement soon.

Initiative

In Khartoum, the initiative of Sheikh El Yagout for national unity and peace, was officially inaugurated in the Friendship Hall on Saturday. The government, political parties, armed movements, and civil society organisations all welcomed the initiative.

During the inauguration, member of the Sovereign Council Mohamed El Faki, Minister of Cabinet Affairs Omar Manis, and leading member of the Forces for Freedom and Change, Maryam El Sadig, welcomed the initiative.

Rebel leaders Abdelwahid El Nur, Jibril Ibrahim, and El Hadi Idris, who participated by phone, also expressed their appreciation for the initiative.

Minni Minawi

Minni Minawi, head of a Sudan Liberation Movement split-off faction, has accused the Forces for Freedom and Change of ignoring the Sudanese refugees in Chad.

During his visit to the Bredjing refugee camp for Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad on Saturday, Minawi called on the international community to put pressure on the transitional government to achieve peace in Sudan.

He ruled out holding general elections in Sudan unless the issues of the Darfuri refugees, such as transitional justice and the use of land, were addressed. He stressed that the displaced have “the right to live in their homeland as citizens who enjoy all rights”.

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