Vol. 8 Issue 7 - Public International Law & Policy Group
Vol. 8 Issue 7 - Public International Law & Policy Group Vol. 8 Issue 7 - Public International Law & Policy Group
Sudan, Darfur rebel group sign peace framework Sarah El Deeb, Associated Press, 2/17/09 Sudan's government and Darfur's most powerful rebel group agreed Tuesday to launch negotiations on ending the six-year war in Darfur. But they failed in talks this week to seal a cease-fire or lure other rebel groups into the process, signs of how distant peace remains. The week of negotiations in the Gulf state of Qatar ended with a two-page statement of "good intentions" by Khartoum and the rebel Justice and Equality Movement promising to hold negotiations next month, aiming to reach a peace deal in three months. The two sides have yet to tackle the toughest issues of Darfur, such as wealth and power sharing, and even if a deal is reached the absence of other rebels from the table raises doubts over its effectiveness. Tuesday's announcement fell short of hopes for a truce between the two sides, whose forces clashed in Darfur as recently as last week. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, called the deal "potentially a modest first step, but it is not itself a cessation of hostilities." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the agreement a "a constructive step" but also urged the parties to move quickly to a "cessation of hostilities" and to come up with a more "detailed and explicit agreement on the scope of comprehensive and inclusive talks," U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas said. The U.N. Security Council welcomed the deal, but "beyond this, we really want to see that the fighting and the hostility must come to an end" and other rebels brought into the process, said council president Yukio Takasu, Japan's U.N. ambassador. Khartoum and JEM touted the agreement as significant progress a reflection of the heavy political stakes they have in the process. Khartoum is hoping that by showing seriousness about peace, it can avert international prosecution of President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes in Darfur. The Hague-based International Criminal Court is expected to issue an arrest warrant against al-Bashir within days over accusations he orchestrated atrocities against Darfur's ethnic Africans. Rice, however, said there was "no linkage" between the prosecution and the Doha talks and that delaying the ICC case was "unwarranted." JEM is trying to assert its leadership of Darfur's highly fractured rebel groups. A year ago it launched an unprecedented attack on Sudan's capital, demonstrating that it is the most organized of the rebels. Now it hopes to show it can win concessions from Khartoum to bring other rebels behind it.
The talks mediated by Doha are the first between Khartoum and any rebel group since 2007. Other rebels rejected the talks, saying they only reinforce the Khartoum's policy of "divide and rule" in Darfur. Sudanese government spokesman Rabie Abdel-Attie said Tuesday's agreement demonstrated Khartoum's sincerity. "The door is now open more than any other time for all rebel groups to join the peace process," he said. The war in Darfur began in 2003, when ethnic African rebels rose up against the Arab-led Khartoum government, complaining of discrimination. Khartoum responded with a military crackdown and is accused of unleashing Arab militias who carried out atrocities against ethnic African civilians. More than 2.5 million Darfurians have been driven from their homes. An earlier peace agreement, in 2006, was signed only by one rebel group, the Sudan Liberation Movement, which promptly fractured. Only a single faction stuck by the 2006 deal, which is now defunct. In the "good intentions" statement signed Tuesday, Khartoum and JEM agreed that peace is "the strategic priority" in dealing with the Darfur conflict. They set a three-month deadline for the next round of talks to address the core problems of the war. The sides agreed in principle to exchange prisoners. At least 50 JEM members are being held on death row for their role in the attack on Khartoum. The rebels immediately pledged to free an undetermined number of government prisoners they hold. The government made no such promises at the signing ceremony in Doha, but officials in Khartoum said the government is ready to release prisoners, which would require a presidential pardon. JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim said "there is a genuine desire to reach a comprehensive and just solution to this war and to prevent the outbreak of another war." Abdel-Attie, the government spokesman, said the talks are not aimed at averting ICC prosecution of al-Bashir. But "if a breakthrough is realized, those who want the international court to proceed to the end, will find themselves going down the wrong lane, and will be forced to consider that peace is better followed," he said.
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Sudan, Darfur rebel group sign peace framework<br />
Sarah El Deeb, Associated Press, 2/17/09<br />
Sudan's government and Darfur's most powerful rebel group agreed Tuesday to launch<br />
negotiations on ending the six-year war in Darfur. But they failed in talks this week to seal a<br />
cease-fire or lure other rebel groups into the process, signs of how distant peace remains.<br />
The week of negotiations in the Gulf state of Qatar ended with a two-page statement of<br />
"good intentions" by Khartoum and the rebel Justice and Equality Movement promising to<br />
hold negotiations next month, aiming to reach a peace deal in three months.<br />
The two sides have yet to tackle the toughest issues of Darfur, such as wealth and power<br />
sharing, and even if a deal is reached the absence of other rebels from the table raises doubts<br />
over its effectiveness. Tuesday's announcement fell short of hopes for a truce between the<br />
two sides, whose forces clashed in Darfur as recently as last week.<br />
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, called the deal "potentially a modest<br />
first step, but it is not itself a cessation of hostilities."<br />
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the agreement a "a constructive step" but also<br />
urged the parties to move quickly to a "cessation of hostilities" and to come up with a more<br />
"detailed and explicit agreement on the scope of comprehensive and inclusive talks," U.N.<br />
spokeswoman Michele Montas said.<br />
The U.N. Security Council welcomed the deal, but "beyond this, we really want to see that<br />
the fighting and the hostility must come to an end" and other rebels brought into the process,<br />
said council president Yukio Takasu, Japan's U.N. ambassador.<br />
Khartoum and JEM touted the agreement as significant progress a reflection of the heavy<br />
political stakes they have in the process.<br />
Khartoum is hoping that by showing seriousness about peace, it can avert international<br />
prosecution of President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes in Darfur. The Hague-based<br />
<strong>International</strong> Criminal Court is expected to issue an arrest warrant against al-Bashir within<br />
days over accusations he orchestrated atrocities against Darfur's ethnic Africans.<br />
Rice, however, said there was "no linkage" between the prosecution and the Doha talks and<br />
that delaying the ICC case was "unwarranted."<br />
JEM is trying to assert its leadership of Darfur's highly fractured rebel groups. A year ago it<br />
launched an unprecedented attack on Sudan's capital, demonstrating that it is the most<br />
organized of the rebels. Now it hopes to show it can win concessions from Khartoum to bring<br />
other rebels behind it.
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