Ban receives a copy of Doha peace document on Darfur

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon late Monday received a copy of the Doha peace document on Darfur, western Sudan, from Ahmed Bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Qatar, and Djibril Yipene Bassole, the newly-appointed Foreign Minister of Burkina Faso and former Joint African Union (AU)-UN Chief Mediator for Darfur, the UN press office said in a statement. The document was adopted by the Conference of stakeholders in Darfur, held in Doha, Qatar, on May 27-31, 2011. Ban and his interlocutors reviewed the outcome of the All Darfur Stakeholders Conference (ADSC) and welcomed it as the "basis for reaching a permanent ceasefire and inclusive peace settlement, and sustainable peace and stability in Darfur. " Together, they urged the parties, the Government of Sudan and the rebels, to swiftly sign a permanent cease-fire and make the necessary concessions to reach a just and permanent peace on the basis of this document. Ban expressed his appreciation for the positive role played by the State of Qatar under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, for the support they have provided to the Joint AU-UN mediation in realizing the progress achieved thus far. He also thanked Foreign Minister Bassole and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Al-Mahmoud for their painstaking efforts and perseverance during the past two and half years to find a solution to the crisis in Darfur, which erupted in 2003.