Photo by Amin Ismail, UNAMID.
On 22 September 2019, UNAMID peacekeepers mingled with hundreds of residents of Zalingei town and its suburbs to celebrate the International Day of Peace under the theme: “Climate Action for Peace”.
Hundreds of vendors, retailers, students and pupils, native administration, women and youth groups as well as Government officials and peacekeepers (Civilians, Military and Police), attended the event which included peace march, music festival, peace and traditional songs, cultural performances by peacekeepers and local cultural groups and a drama show about the Mission’s transition period and its eventual exit by end of June 2020.
The event also included a photo exhibition portraying the activities of the Mission’s different components and the UN State Liaison Functions (SLFs) and a musical concert by the renowned Darfuri musicians Mr. Hassan Aish and Ms. Halima Sassa.
UNAMID representative Mr. Marcel Akpovo read UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s message on the day, in which he said; “…peace faces a new danger; the climate emergency, which threatens our security, our livelihoods and our lives. On this International Day of Peace, I urge all of you; take concrete climate action and demand it of your leaders”.
In his remarks, the Acting Wali (Governor) of Central Darfur, Maj. Gen. Suliman Al Amin Mussad, commended UNAMID efforts to support peacekeeping and building peace in Darfur and urged the Mission to continue providing services to the local population in different localities of Central Darfur.
He called on the people of Darfur to work toward peace and stability and stated that 13 years of conflict has resulted in destroying the infrastructure and displacement in Darfur.
On his part, the Director of Peace Council and Voluntary Return, Dr. Jibril Younis, called upon all the Darfuri movements to join the peace process and highlighted the efforts made to disseminate the culture of peace in Central Darfur. He urged the people of Darfur to participate in the peace forums to disseminate peace culture and peaceful co-existence among the local communities.
Each year, 21 September is marked worldwide as International Day of Peace, and this year UNAMID peacekeepers in Golo temporary operating base (TOB) also celebrated the day in collaboration with Golo community leaders, government officials, youth, women and students.