HENOK MERHATSIDK 1.pdf - Addis Ababa University

Derg tried to broker a peace deal between the Sudanese government and the SPLM/A in
Ethiopia (Koka dam) in 1986. Even before the fall of the Derg, SPLM/A was started talks
with the new Sudan government in August 1989 in Addis Ababa and in December of the
same year in Nairobi (Young, 2007:8). However, all the previous attempts made to end
Sudanese civil war were not working.
The new chapter opened in the history of the region when the Derg regime overthrown by the
EPLF and EPRDF forces, which were managed to control Eritrea and Addis Ababa
respectively in 1991. The SPLM/A lost its main allay as a result of change in regime in Addis
Ababa, the Derg. Therefore, relative peace resurfaced in the region and opportunity created
for calling peace deal between the Sudan government and the SPLM/A. The regional
authority (IGAD) then started a new effort to conclude the conflict in Sudan:
IGADD launched a peace initiative at its Addis Ababa summit of
September 1993 and a peace committee made up of the heads of state of
Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda and Kenya was established with president
Daniel Arapmoi serving as a chairman. The mediation process was
handled by a standing committee made up of the foreign ministers from
the same countries and chaired by Kenya. In addition, the friends of
IGADD was formed by leading western countries and it promised
support for IGADD’s peace keeping role (Young, 2007: 9).
In the eyes of the Sudan government, the ownership of the Sudan peace process fall in the
hands of IGADD is beneficial because Ethiopia expelled SPLM/A from its territory due to its
principle of good neighborly relations. Djibouti is member of the Arab League. Kenya has
less record in helping the SPLM/A, but “its officials had less knowledge of the conflict in
Sudan than their counterparts in Ethiopia and Eritrea.” Therefore, a standing committee on
peace in Sudan was formed by representing Kalonzo Muyoka, a Kenyan foreign minister, as
its chairman. It was during this time that IGADD proposed a declaration of principles (Dops)
that brought about one important element, the right of southern Sudanese to self-
determination unless and otherwise the Sudan government work for democracy and
secularism (Young, 2007: 9).
Ethiopia and Kenya are active members of the IGADD member countries, their strongly
believe in avoiding obstacles for cooperation in the region, which made them forefront in
54