BuaNews (Tshwane)
24 July 2007
Fashir — Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir has declared 2007 as the Year of Peace in Darfur.
Speaking at a mass rally in Fashir, the regional capital of North Darfur State the Sudanese president urged the rebels in the conflict-torn region to to join the peace process.
President Al-Bashir called for an end to the war in Darfur and for a move towards peace and rehabilitation, stressing that Sudan with its economic and manpower resources was capable of becoming a major power.
The President said that the Sudanese Council of Ministers had arrived in Darfur at the weekend to see the situation on the ground and to find the best solution.
On Sunday morning, the Sudanese Council of Ministers had met in Fashir to hear reports from governors of the tri-state area (North, South and West Darfur) for an update on the situation and government efforts to achieve peace and rehabilitation there.
Last week, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, welcomed the "constructive outcome" of a well-attended international meeting on the situation in Darfur.
The Special Envoys tasked with re-energising the Darfur peace process, Salim Ahmed Salim of the African Union (AU) and Jan Eliasson of the UN, convened the two-day meeting in Tripoli, Libya, from 15 to 16 July.
"The meeting reconfirmed the strong international support for the AU/UN leadership role in negotiations towards a comprehensive political solution to the conflict in Darfur," Mr Ban said through his spokesperson at the time.
The participants at the gathering pledged their unequivocal support and commitment to the AU/UN-led Darfur peace process, in partnership with regional leaders.
A total of 18 nations and organizations attended the gathering, including Chad, China, Libya, Norway, Russia, Sudan, the United States, the European Union and the League of Arab States.
Mr Eliasson stressed that he and his AU counterpart, Mr Salim, had made great efforts to bolster ties with civil society and representatives of Internally Displaced Persons camps, as the two do not want this to be a "process that is driven from the top to the bottom."
Next month, the two Special Envoys will convene another meeting in Arusha, Tanzania, after which invitations will be issued to the parties to commence political negotiations later in August. - BuaNews-Xinhua
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