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Sudan
Beshir declares unilateral ceasefire in Darfur
Article published on the 2008-11-12 Latest update 2008-11-13 09:22 TU
Sudanese President Omar el-Beshir
(photo : AFP)
Sudanese President Omar el-Beshir announced a unilateral ceasefire in the Darfur region on Wednesday, and called for a campaign to disarm all militias.
“I hereby announce our immediate unconditional ceasefire between the armed forces and warring factions provided that an effective monitoring mechanism be put into action and be observed by all involved parties,” el-Beshir said.
El-Beshir’s declaration came after he received the final report from a government-sponsored peace initiative, Sudan’s response to the international arrest warrants issued for President al-Beshir’s arrest.
Addressing visiting officials, Beshir called for “an immediate campaign to disarm militias and restrict the use of weapons amongst armed forces.”
The armed militias in Darfur – commonly referred to as janjaweed – are widely believed to be supported by the government in Khartoum. But this isn’t the first time that Sudan has made such proposals, which have failed each time.
“Our experience with Beshir tells us that he says things that he does not do,” Jabril Ibrahim Mohamed, economic advisor to the rebel group Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) told RFI.
“The ceasefire won’t be applicable without a real peace agreement, and the peace agreement is not there,” Mohamed said.
Comment: Jabril Ibrahim Mohamed, economic advisor to the rebel group Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)
