UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- UN Undersecretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix on Friday expressed the hope that a new peace agreement between the government and armed groups would usher in a new era in Sudan's Darfur region.

But he warned that much work remains to be done.

The initialing of a peace agreement on Aug. 31 in Juba, South Sudan, between the transitional government of Sudan and the Sudan Revolutionary Front, as wells as the Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minnawi is an important milestone in the often-troubled history of Darfur, signifying hope for a more peaceful and prosperous future, Lacroix told the Security Council.

He commended the parties for their commitment to peace, as well as South Sudan for its critical role in mediating the agreement.

"As we meet here today, we are only just over a week away from the scheduled signing ceremony, and the start of a new era for Darfur," he said in his briefing.

However, much work remains to ensure that the goodwill shown in the negotiating process is translated into lasting and sustainable change on the ground, he said.

Key players, including the Sudan Liberation Army of Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW), are yet to join the process. The agreements, still a patchwork of documents negotiated on different tracks, are yet to be woven together into a single, unfractured vision of the future of Sudan. With continued armed clashes and protests in Darfur that signals the anxiety of Darfuri constituencies on the decisions being made in Khartoum and Juba, the international community must work together to bring all stakeholders on board and work toward preventing a relapse into conflict, said Lacroix.

Furthermore, the implementation phase will be just as crucial as the drafting of the agreement itself. This includes, as one of the key provisions of the security arrangements for Darfur, the creation of a 12,000-person joint security force within 90 days of the agreement's signing, made up of 6,000 members from Sudanese security forces and 6,000 from the signatory armed groups, he said.

As forces are deployed and resources are mobilized in support of the implementation, it is essential to ensure that local Darfuri communities feel ownership of the agreement and fully participate in the implementation, he said.

Financing, too, will be a key challenge. Therefore, managing expectations of what the international community can deliver at the current international context will be critical, he said.

The Darfur armed movements have suggested that implementation will require 13 billion U.S. dollars over a 10-year period, and the Sudanese government indicated that it will commit 7.5 billion dollars, he noted. "As the parties work to make the vision of the agreement into a reality, we in the international community have a responsibility to support them."

Clashes between government forces and armed groups as well as inter-communal violence make the protection of civilians a tough job, said Lacroix.

Continued intermittent clashes between government forces and the SLA/AW, concentrated in parts of the Jebel Marra, remain a challenge. Equally concerning, as talks in Juba have proceeded, has been the continued infighting between SLA/AW factions reportedly over disagreement on whether the group should join the negotiations, causing civilian deaths and significant displacement mainly in parts of Central and South Darfur, he said.

The final steps toward the peace agreement have also been accompanied by a notable increase in inter-communal violence in Darfur in 2020, with major incidents in West, North, and South Darfur. This violence has coincided with a rise in protests demanding increased security by Darfuri communities, particularly internally displaced persons (IDPs) and others who fear that they may fail to benefit from the final agreement and its implementation, he said.

The government has responded to inter-communal clashes by deploying troops to quell the violence, and by sending mediators to support the peaceful resolution of conflicts. However, while the government has vowed to meet the legitimate security demands of the Darfuri people, it continues to face significant challenges, including limited capacity and a trust deficit, particularly in conflict-affected areas and IDP camps, where protection is most needed, said Lacroix.

"As we stand on the cusp of the historic peace agreement in Juba, we are heartened by the progress that has been made, but also reminded of the significant challenges that remain," he said. "With the start of the implementation phase, it is essential that our support helps achieve improvements that can be felt by the people on the ground in Darfur, most especially in strengthening the safety and security of Darfuris." Enditem

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