South Sudan DDR: UN says militants re-integrating in Sudan is now underway

Friday, March 27, 2009 report by PANA via afriquejet.com
UN says militants re-integrating in Sudan

New York, US - A process to reintegrate more than 180,000 former Sudanese militants back into civil society is now under way, the United Nations said on Thursday.

The Pan African News Agency (PANA) reports that a statement issued by the UN, stated that the ex-fighters were taking part in a disarmament, demobilisation and re-integration programme backed by the UN mission in Sudan (UNMIS).

It said the programme provided former militants, once involved in the 22-year civil war in Sudan, with technical and material assistance to support the transition back into civilian life.

"While a violent insurgency continues between rebels and the Sudanese government in the western Darfur region of Sudan, the UN is supporting the process of helping more than 180,000 ex-fighters reintegrate into the society,'' it noted.

The statement also said that the process was starting in the central-eastern city of Ed Damazin, Sudan.

"Reintegration is the last and most crucial phase of the multi-million-dollar process known as disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration called for by the Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement,'' it added.

Further reading:

UNMIS Information Sheet and map on Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) in Sudan.

March 26, 2009 UNMIS report via ReliefWeb: Sudan DDR programme progresses into reintegration phase

March 26, 2009 UN News Centre report: Sudan: UN assists ex-combatants in north-south conflict to return to civilian life



Photo: Ex-combatants from north and south symbolically handed over their weapons and then registered and received a DDR ID card. (UN News Centre)