US envoy racing against time to conclude Darfur peace process
March 10, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The US special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration said today that it is imperative that a peace deal be reached in the war ravaged region of Darfur prior to the April elections and suggested that the crisis there has shifted attention from the South ahead of the 2011 referendum.
The US special envoy made the remarks in Nairobi where he attended the extraordinary summit on Sudan organized by Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
Last month rebels of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) signed a temporary ceasefire as part of a framework agreement that is intended to lead to a broader peace deal. Formal peace talks are expected to start shortly.
Sudan said at the time that they expect a final peace deal by March 15 though JEM rebels now say this is unlikely.
Gration said the focus on Darfur hurt monitoring of the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed between North and South.
“Frankly we were pulled off message and off focus when Darfur happened, and Darfur sort of overshadowed what was happening in terms of implementation of the CPA,” the US official said.
“So things just sort of muddled along. Last June, we pulled together a conference for supporters of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, and we started at that time talks,” Gration said.
The US envoy will fly to Doha to push for progress on talks between Khartoum and JEM. The rebel group is uneasy about the prospects of Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), a newly formed rebel umbrella, joining the talks.
JEM refused to join at the negotiating table saying that LJM ought not to hold separate, simultaneous and parallel talks with Khartoum. JEM was against allowing them to be involved in discussions with the government as separate group. The powerful rebel movement says they want one sole rebel delegation in the talks, requesting the newly formed rebel umbrella to merge with them.
However, Ahmed Tugud, JEM chief negotiator, told Sudan Tribune on Monday they agreed with the mediation to start the direct peace talks with the Sudanese government on Tuesday, ending the two weeks of deadlock.
“This is really one of the first very serious agreements that we’ve had,” Gration said of the ceasefire deal while stressing other rebel groups should participate.
“If there’s going to be a comprehensive and lasting peace in Darfur, all of the rebel groups really need to be involved,” he said.
Gration said that the next few weeks there will be a “big focus on the election. There is not going to be a lot of bandwidth to be doing Darfur and negotiations in Doha.”
JEM have insisted that elections be delayed to allow people in Darfur and Kordofan to take part, something which Khartoum rejects.
However, today the Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir hinted that the demand could be accommodated for Darfur only by holding “make up elections” in parts of the region after it stabilizes following a peace agreement.
The International Criminal Court )ICC) last year issued an arrest warrant for President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes in Darfur, where the United Nations estimates 300,000 have died in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Bashir hopes a victory in April’s presidential election will legitimize his government in defiance of the warrant.
(ST)
Gatwech
US envoy racing against time to conclude Darfur peace process
Dear readers,
Re-read and analyze what these two messages mean from Bashir.
ONE: “However, today the Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir hinted that the demand could be accommodated for Darfur only by holding “make up elections” in parts of the region after it stabilizes following a peace agreement.”
What would be the use of such “make up elections” in Darfur after the rest of the country voted for presidential candidate. Would Darfur’s make up elections include voting for the president? And what if the outcome is announced, would the Darfur votes be considered to reverse the outcome of the presidential election? This is nonsense!
TWO: “Bashir hopes a victory in April’s presidential election will legitimize his government in defiance of the warrant.”
That is exactly what he wants. Elections to Bashir means nothing other than rigging it to gain legitimacy that he would use as a bargaining chip with the international community, particularly with the UN Security Council, for his ICC situation.
Postpone this good-for-nothing pre-rigged election that would only bring post-election violence in the South. US’ Gration should push for postponement of the elections and conduct the referendum as scheduled in January 2011.
Fortysix
US envoy racing against time to conclude Darfur peace process
Gration: focus your attention on CPA at the meantime. If CPA is implemented fully, then you can be sure that Al Bashir will also honor other agreements in the pipeline.
murlescrewed
US envoy racing against time to conclude Darfur peace process
The problem with peace processes in Sudan is not the lack of will to merely reach an accord but rather how it is implemented. JEM is just joining a long list of groups that have signed peace with Khartoum but it has not faithfully implemented. Until Khartoum starts taking peace more seriously, there is little incentive to just sign peace for the sake of one.
Majok e Deng
US envoy racing against time to conclude Darfur peace process
Get this prick out of Sudan, Scott Gration, he is nothing other than a paid agent by Bashir regime.