Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Doha (Agenzia Fides) – Amin Hassan Omar, chief negotiator of the Sudanese government and Ahmed Tugud, leader of the delegation of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM, the strongest rebel movement in Darfur) on February 23, in Doha (Qatar), signed a ceasefire agreement, which comes into force at midnight on February 24, and a framework agreement paving the way for a final peace agreement between the two parties which should be concluded by March 15.
The signing ceremony was attended by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, Chadian President Idriss Deby, and Eritrea's President Issaias Afeworki, in addition to the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
The framework agreement between the Sudanese government and the JEM calls for the rebel group's establishment of a political party after the signing of the final agreement, which will participate in the sharing of power “at all levels (executive, legislative), in a manner yet to be established between the two parties.”
The agreement also calls for the integration of rebel fighters into the army and police force, the release of prisoners of war, amnesty for civilian and military members of JEM, and the cancellation of over 100 death sentences.
Other main points from the agreement include compensation pay, which is yet to be defined, for the victims of the conflict in Darfur, as well as regional development and measures to facilitate the “voluntary return” of the 2.7 million people who have been displaced by the conflict, which has caused somewhere between 200,000-300,000 deaths, according to the UN (although the Sudanese government claims the victims were only 10,000).
The Emir of Qatar has promised to establish a bank with a fund of one billion dollars for the reconstruction of Darfur. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 24/2/2010)
