Communiqué Of the Third Meeting of the Joint Commission Of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur

DOHA, Qatar, February 25, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Communiqué Of the Third Meeting of the Joint Commission Of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur

1. The Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) Joint Commission held its third meeting on 25 February 2014 in Khartoum. The meeting was chaired by the African Union-United Nations Joint Special Representative and Joint Chief Mediator, Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, and was attended by the signatories to the DDPD, the Government of Sudan, the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) and the Justice and Equality Movement-Sudan (JEM-Sudan) as well as the State of Qatar, the League of Arab States and the European Union as Members of the Commission. China, Canada and Norway attended as Observers.

2. The Commission welcomed the signing of a peace agreement between the Government of Sudan and JEM-Sudan on 6 April 2013 and its membership in the Joint Commission.

3. The Commission considered the report presented by the Chairperson of the Ceasefire Commission (CFC), Lt. Gen. Paul Ignace Mella, on the status of the implementation of the provisions of the Permanent Ceasefire and Final Security Arrangements of the DDPD.

4. The Commission welcomed the Agreement on Final Security Arrangements signed between the Government of Sudan and LJM on 20 November 2013, and took note of the decision by the two parties to skip phases of the Final Security Arrangements pertaining to disengagement and redeployment and to restrict the modalities of limited arms control to receiving arms from combatants in the assembly areas/sites and their registration.

5. The Commission noted the agreement of the Government of Sudan and LJM to integrate three LJM battalions composed of 2,430 combatants into the Sudan Armed Forces and Police, according to their structure and criteria. The Commission urged the Government of Sudan and LJM to agree on a reasonable or realistic number of LJM combatants who will undergo Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) process while taking into full consideration future negotiations determining the number of combatants of JEM-Sudan and potentially other non-signatory movements.

6. The Commission also deliberated on the implementation modalities for limited arms control and noted the willingness of both parties to continue to work closely and cooperate with the CFC in defining the modalities of limited arms control in accordance with the provisions of the DDPD.

7. The Commission noted the continued threats posed by militia groups, outlaws and criminal elements in Darfur in achieving peaceful co-existence among communities and the overall peace in the region, which are also an impediment to reconstruction and development activities. The Commission called upon the CFC and the Government of Sudan to further discuss the proposals made by the Government on the disarmament of militias, and determine the way forward.

8. In view of the Agreement between the two parties, the Commission pledged its continued support to the implementation of the DDPD, in general, and the Final Security Arrangements in particular, and urged the Government of Sudan and LJM to ensure sustained efforts towards effective implementation of the Agreement.

9. The Commission received the report of JEM-Sudan on the progress towards security arrangements with the Government of Sudan and urged the two parties to work very closely with the Ceasefire Commission on verification of JEM-Sudan's military dispositions, with a view to their subsequent integration, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. As a way forward, the Commission urged the Government of Sudan and JEM-Sudan, under the supervision of the Ceasefire Commission, to commence the verification exercise.

10. The Commission recognized the crucial role of the international community in achieving durable peace in Darfur and encouraged international partners to provide continued support to the implementation of the DDPD, particularly through commitment of much-needed resources to the realization of Final Security Arrangements which is foundational to the overall security and peace of Darfur.

11. The Commission commended the Parties for their spirit of cooperation and commitment to peace in Darfur and encouraged them to ensure the full and timely implementation of the provisions related to the Permanent Ceasefire and Final Security Arrangements in the interest of peace, security and development in Darfur.

12. The Commission agreed to hold its next meeting in May 2014 in El Fasher.

Khartoum, 25 February 2014