The Permanent Ceasefire Committee (PCC)
Established in September 2021 by legal decrees from the transitional government and at the request of the signatories of the Juba Peace Agreement, the Permanent Ceasefire Committee (PCC) in Darfur and its five sectoral committees are chaired by UNITAMS. UNITAMS oversees the PCC’s joint structure which includes representatives from the government and from the five signatories of the Darfur Track of the Juba Peace Agreement as well as representatives from South Sudan and Chad. The structures of the PCC include five sectoral committees for each of Darfur’s five states, as well as field teams, all with similar joint composition.
Through regular meetings, the PCC maintains consistent dialogue between the government and the peace partners to build trust and encourage peaceful resolution of conflicts and disputes. The PCC is mandated to monitor, investigate, verify and report alleged violations. It also provides good offices and mediation to reduce tensions and prevent conflict and offers capacity building for ceasefire monitors from the government and the peace partners. The PCC routinely conducts community outreach, creates spaces for dialogue, and ensures a common understanding of the roles and responsibilities of all involved towards sustainable peace in Darfur.
Since its creation, the PCC has conducted several investigations at the request of the PCC members and played an instrumental role in mediating to achieve the withdrawal of forces of the Juba Peace Agreement signatories from Darfur’s major cities in March 2022. In recent months, the PCC has intensified its efforts to fully equip and activate its sectoral committees across Darfur through training and deployment of personnel. It also played a role in de-escalating tensions in Darfur including around recent conflicts in the Zamzam camp for internally displaced persons, and in Kogli in North Darfur.
Head of the Permanent Ceasefire Committee, Gen. Sandeep Bajaj. Photo by Owies El Faki, UNITAMS.
In recent statements to the media, Special Representative Perthes explained that operationalization of the PCC alone cannot lead to sustained peace in Darfur. Instead, he stressed, it is critical to urgently implement the security arrangements provided for in the Juba Peace Agreement, including, for example, the establishment of the Joint Security Keeping Forces, the Integration Technical Committees and the Darfur Regional Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Committee. Without their establishment, the PCC can’t succeed in fulfilling its mandate. In addition, other key bodies such as the Joint Humanitarian Committee (JHC) for Darfur, Darfur Commission for Security Arrangements, and the Joint Military Media Committee also need to be established for other security arrangements to take place.
Most importantly, and as repeatedly stressed by the United Nations, addressing the root causes of conflict remains of paramount importance for any real progress on building sustainable peace in Darfur and the Two Areas. This needs the Sudanese government to carry out measures stipulated in the Juba Peace Agreement in relation to land ownership, transitional justice, and refugees and internally displaced persons.
On the second anniversary of signing the Juba Peace Agreement, Mr. Perthes welcomed the graduation of a first patch of 1700 soldiers in the Joint Security-Keeping Force from the armed movements that signed the Juba Peace Agreement. However, he urged the government to contribute its share of soldiers as per the Agreement to complete the Force’s structure and stressed the need for the urgent deployment of those who were trained to carry out their duties in the protection of civilians. While the PCC can contribute to stability in Darfur, its mandate does not include protection of civilians which remains the responsibility of the Joint Security-Keeping Force and the government of Sudan.
Head of the Permanent Ceasefire Committee, Gen. Sandeep Bajaj. Photo by Owies El Faki, UNITAMS.
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