Darfur breakthrough possible in Abuja talks – US
April 13, 2006 (WASHINGTON) — A senior U.S. State Department official said Thursday conditions may be ripe for a breakthrough in the long running Darfur peace talks in Nigeria.
Robert Zoellick, the department’s No. 2 official, said negotiators are attempting to get the parties to reach an agreement by late April.
“I believe we can get this done,” Zoellick said, declaring that there can be no lasting peace in Darfur until the government, janjaweed militias and rebel forces agree on terms for a settlement.
Without an accord, Zoellick said, all other activities being conducted by the international community in Darfur are no more than a “band aid” on the problem.
He spoke to a gathering at the Brookings Institution, a private public policy research group.
The talks are being held in the Nigerian capital of Abuja. Some of the issues are similar to those which were on the table in North-South Sudan peace talks, which ended 15 months ago with a comprehensive peace agreement, Zoellick said.
He noted that negotiators in those discussions were able to reach agreement on the thorny issue of wealth and power sharing. He added that there is no reason why diplomats in Abuja cannot overcome differences on the same issue.
The most difficult issue in Abuja relates to post-conflict security arrangements, including disarmament of the factions and their integration into a single cohesive force, Zoellick said.
One key problem in Abuja is that the Darfur rebel groups have differing agendas, he added.
Once the fighting ends, he said, the international community must come together in support of programs that will enable Darfur’s 2 million displaced persons to resume normal lives.
“We are going to have to give these people a chance to get back on their feet,” Zoellick said.
He criticized the Khartoum government for its refusal thus far to accept proposals for the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur who would work alongside African Union forces now on duty there.
Noting that Khartoum accepted U.N. peacekeepers in southern Sudan, he asked, “What’s the problem in having them in Darfur?”
Wednesday, the U.S. and U.K. called for U.N. sanctions against four Sudanese who have blocked peace efforts and violated human rights in Darfur.
Council diplomats said the group includes two Sudanese rebels, one janjaweed militiaman and one government official.
(ST/AP)