Darfur mediation urges Sudan to create conducive environment for peace talks

December 27, 2009 (DOHA) — Darfur peace mediation today has urged the Sudanese government to create a conducive environment before to start peace talks which would take place during the last week of January in Doha.

The Sudanese Presidential Adviser, Ghazi Salah Al-Deen Attabani who is in charge with Darfur dossier held today a working session with Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud, Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Djibrill Bassolé, the AU/UN Joint Chief Mediator for Darfur.

The meeting tackled the ongoing preparations for the upcoming peace talks between government and rebels delegations scheduled to start on January 24.

“The Mediation strongly recommended that the Government do everything possible to create a climate of trust and a conducive environment for reaching a lasting settlement of the conflict, particularly in the areas of security and freedom of movement, as stipulated in UNSC resolution 1769 and the Goodwill and Confidence Building Agreement signed in Doha on 17 February 2009,” said a statement released today by the mediation.

Despite Khartoum statements on readiness to hold talks with the rebel groups, the Sudanese government refused to release some hundred fighters from the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in accordance with a confidence building agreement asking them to sign a ceasefire first.

Also, the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement of Abdel Wahid Al-Nur and other rebel groups ask the government to improve the security conditions before talks but the government army and militias attacked several times their position in the troubled region.

The mediation also informed the Sudanese delegation about the resolutions of a conference it had organized in Doha for Darfur civil society and requested “the Government to take into consideration the aspirations expressed by the people of Darfur.”

The four day meeting, held by the mediation in order to identify the means for supporting the peace process, called for a ceasefire and urged the stakeholders to work with the mediation to reach a lasting peace agreement.

After discussing the upcoming electoral process with the government delegation, the mediation said hoping that the “ongoing peace negotiations will continue so as
to enable all the Darfur population to partake in the April 2010 elections in a free and democratic manner.”

Contested in the past by the rebel groups among skepticism from some regional powers, the Doha process is seen now as the most viable approach to end the six year conflict as it conjugates the efforts of the African Union and the Arab League with the support of the international community and adherence of rebel groups.

Last week, the UN Secretary General reiterated the support of the international community to the Doha process and the joint mediator while he hailed the holistic approach of Mbeki for the resolution of Sudanese crisis “By giving Mr. Bassole our unequivocal support, we will send a strong message to all parties that they must engage in the negotiations he is leading” he said.

(ST)