UNITED NATIONS, May 10 (Xinhua) -- The joint representative of the United Nations and the African Union (AU) for Darfur was optimistic on Thursday about a possible cessation of hostilities agreement between the Sudanese government and opposition groups.
Although the peace process continues to be stalled, the Sudanese government and opposition groups have showed desire to engage with him, Jeremiah Mamabolo told the UN Security Council in a briefing.
At a meeting in Berlin in mid-April with the Sudanese government, the Sudan Liberation Army of Minni Minnawi (SLA/MM) and the Justice and Equality Movement opposition groups accepted in principle the 2011 Doha agreement as the basis for negotiation, said Mamabolo.
Although the parties could not reach consensus on elements of a pre-negotiation agreement, they demonstrated their desire to continue to engage with the international envoy to seek a way forward.
"I am therefore in contact with all the parties to bridge their differences so that they can agree on and sign a pre-negotiation framework as soon as possible. This should pave the way for a cessation of hostilities agreement and direct negotiations."
Mamabolo said the general security situation in Darfur remained calm except for sporadic clashes between the Sudan Liberation Army of Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW) and government forces and nomads in the Jebel Marra area.
The nature of these incidents and the low casualty figures reported suggest low-scale skirmishes rather than a large-scale operation. Nevertheless, they demonstrate the continued desire of the SLA/AW faction to challenge the Sudanese government and sustain the conflict, he said.
Mamabolo stressed the importance of the issue of internally displaced persons (IDPs). There are 1.76 million IDPs living in 66 camps and half a million unregistered IDPs living in host communities and settlements in Darfur, according to revised figures.
"For Darfur to be guaranteed of durable peace and development, durable solutions will have to be found for the plight of IDPs."
Mamabolo said the current drawdown of the the AU/UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur, which saw the withdrawal of peacekeepers from many areas, has not had an adverse impact although it is still early to draw a definitive conclusion on the impact.
The AU/UN mission in Darfur is undertaking a second-phase reconfiguration, which entails a further reduction in the number of military personnel from 11,395 to 8,735, and police from 2,888 to 2,500.
