Al-Jazirah interviews AU envoy to Sudan on deployment of hybrid force in Darfur
Al-Jazirah interviews AU envoy to Sudan on deployment of hybrid force in Darfur
BBC Monitoring Service – United Kingdom
Published: Aug 24, 2007
Text of report by Qatari Al-Jazeera satellite TV on 23 August
[“Midday Guest” programme, featuring an interview with Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, AU special envoy to Sudan, via satellite from Khartoum, by Abd-al-Samad Nasir and Ghadah Uways in the studio; Salim speaks in English with simultaneous translation into Arabic; translated from Arabic – live]
[Nasir] Now that the UN Security Council has issued a resolution authorizing the dispatch of UN troops to Darfur to work side by side with the AU troops in what has become known as a hybrid force in Sudan, what is the AU’s real position on this resolution and what differences do you have with the international community over this issue?
[Salim] Well, the UN Security Council resolution was based on a previous decision adopted by the AU following consultations in Addis Ababa in November last year, in which the AU and the United Nations took part, and then the meeting held in Abuja. During all these meetings, the concerned African institutions decided to form a mixed force that would be a combination of African troops, supported by UN troops, with the aim of strengthening the ability of this force to carry out its tasks.
This, of course, includes creating an appropriate atmosphere for peace and security, supporting the political process, and providing protection for relief workers who are doing their best to provide assistance to those who are negatively affected there.
[Uways] Deploying this hybrid force in Darfur requires coordination with the many tribes there. Are you coordinating with them or only with the Sudanese Government?
[Salim] We are participating in efforts to revive the peace process and create conditions conducive to negotiations. In order for negotiations to succeed, we need the cooperation of all. What my colleague the UN envoy and I have been doing over the past four or eight months was trying to hold consultations on the largest possible scale with all those concerned, including tribes, representatives of the international community, and the government. In order for any agreement to last, it needs to be taken care of by the people of Darfur, but these people should be involved in the process in one way or another in order to be able to do so.
Therefore, our expectations do not take into consideration the interests of only the various communities in Darfur, but also the interests of those who are directly affected negatively like evacuees and people who were forced to live in refugee camps. We also take into consideration the position of the movements engaged in an armed conflict with the government. In addition to all this, we take into consideration the opinion of the government and all the concerned parties so that a real progress towards a settlement can be made.
There is a dire need for the participation of all and for the realization that negotiations should be based on the give-and-take spirit and address urgent issues that are a cause of concern to all.
[Nasir] Do you think this hybrid force will succeed in its mission before the factions opposed to the government speak in one language? Can this force deploy if the factions which are supposed to cooperate with it have not unified their ranks yet?
[Salim] I have neither heard nor understood the question.
[Nasir] [Darfur rebel] factions have recently met in Arusha to reach a common ground among them before they could hold negotiations with the government, but some factions like Abd-al-Wahid Nur’s faction were absent. These factions are supposed to hold negotiations with the government, but they have not reached a common ground yet. How much will the continuation of such a situation complicate the hybrid forces’ mission?
[Salim] Clearly there was a meeting in Arusha with the intention of providing a forum for the various factions to hold dialogue and reach a common agreement and a common vision before negotiations could begin. It is important to emphasize that the fragmentation of these movements has certainly made peace much more difficult to attain. This fragmentation is definitely not in the interest of the movements or the objectives of attaining a permanent peaceful solution in Darfur. We tried to bring the movements together in Arusha and we are pleased with the outcome of that meeting.
The various factions were able to discuss things among themselves and interact with us. They emerged with the decision that they would adopt a joint position. It is possible that there would be one delegation before negotiations start. Clearly it is unfortunate that Abd-al-Wahid Nur’s faction did not participate although Abd-al-Wahid has an important role to play in the peace process. We have consistently asked him to join this process. We know that he expressed many complaints and fears, but these fears can better be addressed by joining the peace process instead of staying outside it.
Therefore, the nonparticipation of Abd-al-Wahid Nur’s faction is something we consider regrettable and we will continue to try to persuade him to join the peace process because only through his participation it will be possible to address the issues he talked about with regard to the people of Darfur.
[Uways] You say the nonparticipation of some parties like the Abd-al-Wahid Nur’s faction impede efforts to reach peace. But these, too, have complaints. They say acts of violence and violations of human rights are continuing in Darfur. Have you helped curb these violations before asking them to join the negotiations?
[Salim] Well, it is true that there are violations of human rights and these are continuing in Darfur. It is equally true that killings are continuing in Darfur and some security elements are still in control of the situation there. There are developments which we absolutely condemn. But at the end of the day the only way you can stop such violations in a decisive manner and bring an atmosphere of serenity and security is having negotiations and reaching an agreement all should respect. I can see anxiety about these violations and stress to you that my colleague and I have constantly talked about our concerns in this regard. All share responsibility for this.
The government obviously has a primary responsibility towards the issue of security and stability. This is the basic responsibility of any government. But there are others outside the government who took part in taking measures that violated human rights, and thus they created difficulties for the people of Darfur. In order to address all these issues, the Darfur people and the various political forces in Darfur need to work together as well as with us and with the United Nations. Our role in the AU and the United Nations can be complementary and helpful in reaching peace in Darfur.
A real and permanent peace in Darfur can only be guaranteed by the participation of the Darfur players so that they can reach a greater consensus among themselves and try to act in harmony with one another. The government, of course, has the responsibility of preventing the violation of human rights or the creation of conditions that make negotiations more difficult. This means all have a role to play. I hope that once an agreement is reached, all parties concerned with the issue of restoring peace to Darfur as well as the people of Darfur, especially the ones living under difficult conditions in refugee camps – conditions none wants to have – will be reassured that priority will be given to their problems, fears, and interests.
[Nasir] It was reported that the United Nations is now looking into claims that General Karenzi Karake, who is supposed to head the UN forces in Darfur, is accused of participating in the Rwandan genocide. Are you going to wait for the results of investigation before these forces can be deployed or you are going to name another person to head these forces before investigation ends?
[Salim] First, one has to take into consideration the fact that the Rwandan Government has named an official in the belief that there is no doubt about him, but we cannot quickly draw conclusions because the United Nations is investigating this issue. Besides, the Rwandan Government said all or most of these accusations are baseless. Let us wait for the outcome of investigation and see what happens.
Clearly it is important to deploy the hybrid force as soon as possible because there is a bad need for it in order to make sure that it can create a positive atmosphere on the ground and better conditions for people to feel some sort of security. This will also help boost the political process. Within this framework, we in the AU and United Nations attach importance to reaching an agreement on stopping hostilities among the parties to the conflict as a prelude to starting negotiations in an atmosphere of better understanding so that the people of Darfur can feel some sort of security.
[Nasir] Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, AU special envoy to Sudan, thank you.
Source: Al-Jazeera TV, Doha, in Arabic 1324 gmt 23 Aug 07
BBC Monitoring