India's Jasbir Singh Lidder heads the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) - UN envoy Qazi to step down next month

The newly-appointed Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs for Sudan, Lidder of India, arrived in Khartoum Sunday to assume his responsibilities with UNMIS, a statement by the UN Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said Sunday.

The UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Sudan, Ashraf Qazi, will step down from his post at the end of February 2010, a press release announced.

UN chief appoints Indian army commander top Sudan envoy
Report from Addis Ababa - Pana, Tuesday, January 19, 2010:

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has appointed a high-ranking Indian military official, Jasbir Singh Lidder, to a top political position in Sudan, where he would head the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), PANA reported Monday.

UNMIS is overseeing the implementation of North-South peace accord in Sudan.

The top Indian military officer, who has brokered several agreements in Sudan's former trouble spots in the South, would become the UN Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative.

He would deputize another Asian diplomat, Ashraf Qazi, who is the current UN Special Envoy to Sudan.

Qazi is a Pakistani national.

The newly-appointed Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs for Sudan, Lidder of India, arrived in Khartoum Sunday to assume his responsibilities with UNMIS, a statement by the UN Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said Sunday.

"Lidder's appointment to head the mission's substantive sections was announced last December by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon," the UN statement said , adding that "Lidder brings to the position extensive experience on the ground in Sudan, in addition to a long and distinguished career with the Indian military, serving most recently as Commandant of an elite infantry school."

Prior to that, he served for more than two years as Force Commander of the United Nations Mission to the Sudan (UNMIS), where he facilitated the relationship between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA).

The two different armies fought each other for 21 years before a 5 January Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) was signed between the Southern Sudan and the Northern Sudan.

Lidder also assisted in conflict-resolution activities and the protection of civilians and played a major role in the transition from the African Union Mission to the Sudan (AMIS) to the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), the force commanders said.

In the mid-1990s, he served as Chief of Staff in the military component of the United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ).

During his military service, Lidder held a number of important operational, command and staff positions, including Additional Director General of Military Operations in the Indian Army, General Commanding Officer of a division and Brigade Commander.

Lidder attended the National Defence Academy, as well as the Army War College, in India.

He has a master degree in philosophy in defence studies and management and another in defence and strategic studies.

Born in India in 1949, he is married and has two children.

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The UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Sudan, Ashraf Qazi, will step down from his post at the end of February 2010, a press release announced

Source: Sudan Tribune, Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - UN envoy to quit Sudan next February.

UN envoy in Sudan to leave post at end of next month UN News Centre

UN chief appoints Indian army commander top Sudan envoy Afrique en Ligue

all 10 news articles »

The UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Sudan Ashraf Qazi Congratulates the Government and the People of Sudan on the Fifth Anniversary

Source: United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)
Date: 10 Jan 2010

As the CPA completes its fifth year of implementation, I would like to compliment the CPA partners and all the other Sudanese political and civil society actors for their continuing efforts and firm commitment to achieving a stable and enduring peace. Their determination has withstood the several challenges they have encountered in implementing the CPA and in achieving a number of successes.

We must not forget the considerable progress that has been made since the signing of the CPA, above all, in bringing an end to Africa's longest running civil-war which destroyed the lives of millions of Sudanese and left a bitter legacy to overcome. The other fundamental achievement since the signing of the CPA has been the fact that the prospect of another civil war has become unacceptable to both the political leadership and the people in the North and South. While progress in resolving specific issues has at times been slow and difficult which has given rise to tensions and concerns about the potential for escalation and conflict, hopefully, a legislative and a political framework for the resolution of crucially important outstanding issues has begun to emerge. Full story at ReliefWeb.

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Further reading

US Department of State, 11 Jan 2010 - Sudan: Foreign Press Center Briefing With Special Envoy for Sudan Scott Gration - Press center briefing held by US Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration at the Washington Foreign Press Center in Washington, DC, to address the topic of Sudan on the fifth anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

US Department of State, 08 Jan 2010 - Remarks on the Five Year Anniversary of The Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan - Hillary Rodham Clinton, US Secretary of State and Scott Gration, US Special Envoy to Sudan, Treaty Room, Washington, DC.

America.gov, 08 Jan 2010 - Sudan: Diplomats Call for Greater Effort to Implement Peace Accord: "High levels of violence and displacement in south Sudan in 2009 and continued violence against civilians, widespread insecurity and humanitarian concerns in Darfur show that much more work is needed to bring the peace and stability the Sudanese people deserve," said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and British Foreign Minister David Miliband.

Reuters, 08 Jan 2010 - TIMELINE-Events in Sudan since start of civil war



Photo: A Southern Sudanese girl carries her sibling in Soba Araadi village in the capital Khartoum, 07 January, 2010. Southern Sudanese living in the north fear intimidation or even war if a referendum next year results in secession from the rest of the country and many are calling for international monitoring to protect their rights. Picture taken 07 Jan, 2010. Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

Sudan: Peace first, all shall follow

Independent Online - Peter Fabricius - ‎21 minutes ago‎

Justice for the victims of atrocities in Darfur will come but it will have to wait until peace has been restored to Sudan. ...

Gration calls on EU to provide monitors, funds for Sudan vote Sudan Tribune

US urges Sudan's north and south to mend rift Financial Times

all 5 news articles »

UN SRSG Qazi: DDR critical to creating conducive environment for the upcoming elections in Sudan

The Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme recently achieved the milestone of reaching 15,000 demobilized. Meanwhile, Reintegration counselling and referral has been rolled out to seven states and will be countrywide by the early 2010.

The Sudan DDR Programme under the CPA targets up to 180,000 participants from both SAF and SPLA. They will be demobilised and provided with opportunities for alternative livelihoods such as agriculture, micro-business, vocational training or formal education.

Norway announced an additional pledge of NEK29million (approximately US$5million) to support adult and child DDR.

Source: United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)
DDR partnership hails progress
Date: 04 Nov 2009 (via ReliefWeb)

Meeting in Kadugli on 3 November 2009, the DDR Roundtable Partnership acknowledged significant progress since the launch of the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) in February this year, under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, but admitted that much was still left to be done.

"We have made considerable progress in the implementation of the DDR programme," the Special Representative of the Secretary General, Ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi affirmed at the roundtable, citing among other achievements, the establishment of several assembly areas and demobilisation sites in The Three Areas and in Southern Sudan.

"The momentum built up thus far is impressive and continues to grow as new sites will become operational in the Three Areas and Southern Sudan," Ambassador Qazi declared, adding that the UN has started to work with its Sudanese partners to extend DDR operations to Al-Fula and Abyei.

Speaking on behalf of the UN family in Sudan, SRSG Qazi observed that the DDR process "has given hope to ex-combatants and their communities as they see something concrete being done to promote peace." The SRSG further noted that the DDR was "critical to creating a conducive environment for the upcoming elections."

On the demobilisation of child soldiers, he lamented the current funding shortfall being faced by UNICEF. "It is important we regain momentum on the release and reintegration of children associated with armed forces to prevent children from returning to life in the barracks," the SRSG urged.

The DDR recently achieved the milestone of reaching 15,000 demobilized. Meanwhile, Reintegration counselling and referral has been rolled out to seven states and will be countrywide by the early 2010. Especially in the Three Areas, DDR is making a significant contribution to CPA implementation by fostering trust on both sides, ameliorating security threats and giving ex-combatants, potential spoilers in the future, a solid stake in peace.

Opening the roundtable conference, H.E. Governor Ahmed Haroun hailed the achievements to date and the importance of DDR to restoring stability in Southern Kordofan in particular. The Governor nonetheless insisted that the programme "needs to be expanded."

The DDR Roundtable partnership is a forum major stakeholders of the DDR programme meet at the highest level to review policy and implementation and to ensure the DDR process is on track to meet its goals.

H.E. Ambassador Yuichi Ishii from Japan, a major donor to DDR, spoke on behalf of the donor community. "Today, we witness the collaborative work of the Sudan DDR partners through this Roundtable meeting, and also North and South cooperation here in Southern Kordofan for the future," the Japanese envoy remarked. "We strongly hope that this occasion will provide leverage for the progress of the DDR programme and show concrete steps."

H.E. General Bakri Hassan Saleh, Chairman of the National DDR Coordination Council, urged increased financial support to the programme observing, "Although the war is behind us, we still have a lot of challenges ahead, which is why we request support to give a better life to our combatants."

At the meeting, the representative from Norway announced an additional pledge of NEK29million (approximately US$5million) to support adult and child DDR.

After the meeting, a weapons destruction ceremony was held. A pile of weapons collected from the PDF were lit on fire to symbolize the role of DDR in the transition from war to peace and in reducing violence in communities.

The Sudan DDR Programme under the CPA targets up to 180,000 participants from both SAF and SPLA. They will be demobilised and provided with opportunities for alternative livelihoods such as agriculture, micro-business, vocational training or formal education. The North and South Sudan DDR Commissions implement the programme with support from the Integrated UN DDR Unit, comprised of UNMIS, UNDP, UNICEF, WFP and UNFPA.

The roundtable in Kadugli was attended, among other dignitaries, by H.E. Governor Ahmed Haroun of South Kordofan, the Chairperson of the National DDR Coordination Council, H.E. General Bakri Hassan Saleh, H.E. Minister Elias Nyamlel, General Osman Nouri, the Ambassadors of Japan, South Africa and South Korea, UNMIS SRSG Ashraf Qazi and UNICEF Representative Nils Kastberg as well as representatives of the donor community, North and Southern Sudan DDR Commissions and the UN.

For further information, contact:
Napoleon Viban, phone: +249 (0) 914 549 072, e-mail: viban@un.org
Monique Tummers, +249 (0) 914 108 772, e-mail: tummers@un.org