Communiqué by Darfur peace talks parties at the end of 6th session
AFRICAN UNION
Oct 20, 2005 (ABUJA) — We, the Sudanese parties – the Government of Sudan (GoS), the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) and the Justice Equality Movement (JEM), attending the Six Round of the Inter-Sudanese peace Talks on the Conflict in Darfur, having come to the end of the current Session of our Talks:
1. Express our appreciation for the workshops organized by the Mediation at the beginning of the Round on the Rower Sharing, Wealth Sharing and Security Arrangement, and which enabled us to have an indepth exchange of views on these issues in preparation for the substantive negotiations.
2. Affirm that some progress was made, subsequently, during the current Round of our negotiations on the substantive issue of Power Sharing in concrete terms, we were able to reach Agreement on the following:
a. Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms;
b. Criteria and Guidelines for Power Sharing
Apart from making substantial progress on the General Principles on Power Sharing, we also engaged in some discussions on the Federal System and all levels of governance. We are confident that even though modest progress was made during this Session, the foundation had been laid to enable us move forward on substantive issues that are on the Agenda for the Power Sharing negotiations, during the next Round.
On Wealth Sharing, we were able to adopt the Agenda for the negotiations, and welcome the initiative by the African Union, the World Bank and international Partners, on the convening of a workshop on Wealth Sharing in Nairobi, Kenya, from 11 November 2005, to help us prepare more adequately for the technical discussions on this issue.
On Security Arrangements and the negotiations for a permanent Ceasefire, we are able to commence informal consultations on these issues, as part of the preparations for more detailed negotiations, during our Seventh Round.
As we come to the end of this Round, we are conscious of the urgent need to give our people respite form their long suffering and to rekindle their hopes for a new dispensation in Darfur, where their Rights and dignity as a people, will be respected and guaranteed by the State, on the basis of the sovereign will of all our people.
We undertake never to lose sight of these objectives, which brought us to Abuja, under the auspice of the African Union, with the support of the international community. In this context, we undertake to use the intervening period between the Sixth and the Seventh Rounds, to consult widely with our respective constituencies, in order to be better prepared for the final phase of the negotiations. We are also prepared to address all the outstanding problems that may have undermined the pace of the negotiations during the current Round.
We reaffirm our determination to make the next Round, a decisive one and to work tirelessly, for the achievement of that objective.
Finally we wish to express our continuing appreciation to H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Current Chairman of the African Union, his government and the friendly people of Nigeria, for the warmth of their hospitality and for the excellent facilities that were placed at our disposal during this Session.
We are also deeply appreciative of the role and contributions of H.E. President Idriss Deby of the Republic of Chad, H.E. Prof. Alfa Oumar Konaré, Chairman of the AU Commission, H. E. Dr Salim Ahmed Salim the Chief Mediator and the Mediation Team, the Resource Persons, the Facilitators and our international partners, whose contributions during the current Round and consistent support for our peace process, enabled us to overcome many difficult moments. We welcome the continual engagement of all concerned until we reach our final destination.
Eid Mubarak in advance, to all our people in Darfur and the rest of the Sudan, as we look forward to a new era of peace and progress in our country.
Signed:
– For the Government of Sudan (GoS)
– Dr Mohamed Yusif Abdallah, Minister of Youth and Culture
– For the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A)
– Abdul Wahid Mohamed Ahmed Elnour, Chairman of SLM/A
– For the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)
– Ahmed Tugod Lissan, Chief Negotiator
Witnessed by:
– Dr Salim Ahmed Salim
– Special Envoy and Chief Mediator
– Amb. Mhamat Habib Doutoum
– Chadian Co-Mediation