Darfur NCP Civil Society groups to Where?

By Abdellatif Abdelrahman

December 30, 2009 — Today as the future of Sudan looks very bleak to the extent, that it bewildered not only the ordinary people, but also the astute political analysts and scholars as well. However; I found myself stirred by a sincere inner soul to shed lights on the myriads of peace agreements signed by the National Congress Party, where all of them are dishonored even before its ink dry, and some others are not implemented as stipulated on the drafts of agreements. Thus; I likened the NCP to a voracious political wild animal, which is addicted on signing peace agreements with one hand while suppressed it with the other.

First; the long-negotiated CPA which was highly guaranteed and backed by the International Community and signed by Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Taha and the Chairman of the SPLM/A late Dr. John Garang de Mabior, on Sunday, January 9/ 2005 is not respected at all by the NCP.

Second; the already buried Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), signed by the current Presidential assistant Minni Arkou Minawi and the late Dr. Magzoub Al Khalifa, the head of the Sudan Government delegation, on 5th of May 2006 is not implemented touched either. However; according to the statement made by President assistant Minni Minawi told (MirayaFM) on 29 of December 2009 that he is skeptical about the success of the Doha talks. Minnawi maintains that “the Doha talks will bear no fruit as long as the Abuja Agreement remains stalled.” He described the situation in Darfur as a “fire burning under the ashes,” accusing the NCP of ignoring the needs of the people of Darfur. Minnawi pointed out that if the “NCP continues to ignore these needs, a return to war would likely be an option. The DPA is implemented only %5, he concluded.

Third; the Eastern Sudan Peace agreement EPA , signed in the Eritrean capital Asmara, between the Sudan Government and the Eastern Front Movement on 14th of October 2006 is thrown in the dust by the National Congress Party to the extent that those from Eastern Movements who signed the agreement are fragmented and nothing left even to be mentioned. In addition to the agreement between the Government of Sudan and the National Democratic Alliance, signed in Cairo 16th of June 2005; leave aside the countless memorandum of understandings and agreements signed between the NCP and other political forces within Sudan and outside the country that needs more space and time to be mentioned. So; now, how can this Islamist party the NCP be trusted by the Darfuris, other Sudanese and the International Community when all these agreements were dishonored?

It looks comic if not really sad, for a regime to signed agreements that are enough to stabilize the entire Africa continent without a respect to one of them. Although if the signing of these agreements coupled with good intentions and genuine political will to achieve lasting peace and stability, they would have made Sudan the example of most stabilized country in Africa. Instead, the Islamist in Khartoum continues repeating the same game while continuing its crimes unabated.

Moreover, Khartoum regime continued on their cunning strategies by forging the census results, dragged feet to pass the referendum bills, incarceration and humiliation of the SPLM/A senior leaders despite of the continued threats and sticks shown to the regime by the International Community to compel the regime to honor it’s obligations and commitments. However; the National Congress Party had decided to throw the CPA into its dustbin of its dishonored peace agreements.

While the CPA is undergoing crucial acid test of to be or not to be; it’s also essential to trace the fate of born dead and less importance CPA sisters agreements; which signed for the chief purpose of adorning the body of the CPA. The Eastern Sudan peace agreement (EPA), which has been dismantled by the NCP, to the extent that nobody was talking about it. The Abuja, Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) of Minni Minawi, where all efforts and energies are dedicated to rescue the CPA from intensive care clinic is also dead.

The Presidential assistant Minni never hided his discontent and frustration, towards the ill implementation of the agreement which he signed when he fiercely attacked the NCP in the media, accusing it of having bad intentions and describing the situation in the country as “mysterious” adding that the South Sudan independent has already took place because of the NCP’s policies and non implementation of peace agreements.” In my position as presidential assistant, am valueless and never rose to being a car driver’s assistant either” he further said.

He also acknowledged that Darfur is in the hands of security police, while the state governors are puppets talking about the state issues through T.V cameras only.

This is exactly what is happening to agreements signed by the Islamic regime of Khartoum and the movements and other political forces; who strove hard to bring democratic transformation, rights of their people and good governance to the Sudan.

The regime in Khartoum today is in hurry to legitimize its domination of power by the upcoming 2010 by rigging, as it was apparent on last registration processes for 2010 elections. Today and very sadly the NCP is adding another wagon of Doha talks to its moribund dishonored wagon train of peace agreements.

Without lightest shames the NCP gathered it’s protégés under the name of Darfur civil society groups, that composed of NCP members from mendicants, Janjaweed leaders, political hawkers, pro-government native administrators and weak symbolic figures who neither have any influence on the people they are claiming to represent, nor they can visit the victims in their camps to disseminate their ideas on peace.

Furthermore, the regime has Sudan oil money that enables them to sell those groups to the outside world as if they are truly civil society groups. It is worth to mention that, the so-called Darfur civil society groups to the Doha talks on, the 17th November 2009, was led by the Janjaweed leaders and National Congress members in South Darfur, Salah Ali Al- khali, the Presidential Advisor Abdella Masaar, Abu Shamma Bahr Hamouda and the puppeteers of intertribal animosities and the architects of Darfur genocide.
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In a nutshell, Doha talks will be worse than Abuja as it seeks to give the regime an opening at the expense of the dying and suffering people in a very critical time of collapsing peace agreements where the regime is badly in need of any political leverage to continue the genocide.

At personal level the Doha talks will provide only temporary bread earning positions and welfare for chosen few individuals, but will not solve the problem of Darfur as the masses have totally rejected it.

Long ago; the SLM/A under the leadership of Abdul Wahid had presented a viable comprehensive plan, aiming at solving the root causes of the six years war conflict in Darfur, but it has fallen on deaf ears. Nevertheless, this plan is backed by massive people in country wide, including the victims of the genocide. The three-dimensional action plan consists of the following:

1. The conflict suspension which means stopping the killing of the innocent people.

2. The conflict resolution, through addressing the root causes of the conflict.

3. The conflict transformation which leads to building positive relations among the people everywhere, to cement and batch up the fragile social cohesion which was fragmented by the regime through boosting up of intertribal competition and hostilities.

Moreover, SLM/AW leadership who won the respect of the masses is acting in the interest of the masses of the people, therefore; its always vigilant concerned about the security on the ground. The peace will not occur in the region precisely without giving attention to the issue of the security of the people, punishment for the perpetrators and address the root causes of the current genocide.

We believe that any endeavor aiming to resolving the conflict; if failed to address the root causes, is reserving the material for future conflict and human distraction. Therefore; I urge our well wishers and peace aspirants to strongly support bringing a lasting peace not through addressing the consequences of genocide, but the root causes of the genocide.

The author is based in Kampala, he can be reached at [email protected]