Do not force Darfur rebels to sign unjustified peace
By Garang Ayang Kuoi*
May 4, 2006 — I am worry and concerned that the African Union (AU) mediators will force the Dafur rebels to sign unjustified truce that will leave the people of Darfur behind bars without the benefit of their caused. As I have been following the online news about Darfur peace talks in Nigerians Capital Abuja, the AU have absolutely shown the world their weakness that they lack capacity to identify short coming and the long terms consequences between or among disagreeing parties. Having said that, this is the fact that the AU mediators have been trying to let the rebels sign the peace with the Sudan government because the government has agreed to do so, however, they, AU mediators have politically failed not to identified the political difference that may happen between the parties after the signing of their new treaty, and benefits which each party will get especially the Darfur rebels who took their arms against the regime and fundamentalists Islamic government based in Khartoum three years ago. According to my analysis, there are major key elements that are suppose to be met or address accordingly by the Khartoum government in order to determine its responsibility and dedication as the central supreme power of the entire nation. However, these major key elements are as follow.
Firstly, The Sudanese government must willingly and undoubtfully address the security arrangement first and foremost. This is important because it grantee the security of Darfur citizens and families who have been suffering from killing, rape, humiliation, diseases and hunger caused by brutality and extremism of radical small group of people based in Khartoum. The government must grantee and promise the world that its well equipped militias known as Janjaweed must first put their weapons down before the rebels. This is politically essential because the rebels were the one who defected away from the government because they are seeking justice, equal opportunities, respect and liberty for all under Sudanese supreme laws of justice. however, when you look at it, you would assume that it is a business in which the Dafur rebels are the sellers and the government of Sudan is the buyer, thereafter, the demand of Darfurians is high as they are the owners of products ( their right to live with all liberties as Sudanese citizens), and they deserves some one who really want their product to pay the amount of money that they wish, or if some one doesn’t like their demand or their price he/she must walk away to proof that he/she can not afford the given price, in other word, to determine that the Sudanese government is unwilling to grantee Darfurians their rights. However, this does not necessarily means that the Sudan government should be the one to run after peace, it means that the government has more responsibilities than rebels, it has a responsibility of the country stability, it has a responsibility of the country economy, it has a responsibility of the country international representation, it has the responsibility of Sudanese welfare and welling being of its citizens, as well as the country future political dynamic with its generations to come. This issue i vital and it is suppose to be the top political agenda that the Sudan government and African Union should address and find a solution to it in order to convince the rebels.
Secondly, The Darfur rebels deserve a proper promise of power sharing, not some empty and vague promises that will return them back to second civil war in two to three years after the agreement between them and Khartoum government. The Dafur rebels intention and essence is well defined by their principles, that they can either remain with the government or break away if cheated, this means that their fight is genuine and as they have vision of what they want the government to do for them, so that they can feel recognize as citizens and dignified people of their country. So the African union mediators and the Sudan government must look critically in to issues like these and apply a political equation that would lead them into success and concrete agreement that will determine their work as a solid work but not some drafts that were drafted due to western pressure on Sudan government. The western people could care less and have little responsibilities than the African leaders, that is why I am concern that a just work of AU that will justify the Darfur rebels as chaotic to the world is uncondone because it will return the Country to another civil war which none of us would want to see once again.
Thirdly, the AU mediators have unfortunately forgotten that the Sudan government has not mention any thing about the sharing of wealth. Darfur is rich in oil and other minerals which the Khartoum government has benefited from for years meanwhile the Citizens of Darfur became poor and lived poverty life without anyone to acknowledge their suffering. That is why they took their arms against conceited Khartoum government so that they could earn their right and freedom to enjoy the fruits of their hard work and sacrifices. These are the issues that the AU must find the answers to them so that the peace between the rebels and the government will be accomplish successfully. The AU and the Sudanese government must not only give themselves simple equations, hoping that they can find simple answers to this conflict, they must do some hard works or the peace will ruin itself since the government is turning its deaf ears to major issues and playing games with its own people.
In conclusion, it is in my best hope that the world at large, including the African Union knows that many societies and communities in Sudan have been banished by the Arabs dominated government for years regardless of who is Muslim and not Muslim, but with an ideology of Arabization and racism that based on color of fair skin. Having said this is because I would like the world leaders to always stay alert when there is anything related to war in Sudan, and work hard in order to sort out things that the Khartoum government does not acknowledge to its people, or the world must be always prepare to host and feed large number of refugees from Sudan, because there is no anyway those who ‘ we been ostracized since English Left will put down their weapons before the Khartoum government unless certain rights of those people are met by the government. The AU and Sudan government delegates must conscientiously examine the benefit and consequences of this peace after being signed and sealed, otherwise rushing into eventual signature that will return the people of Dafur to war will be a mistake, and unscrupulous. The AU must point its fingers at Sudanese government to provide a binding agreement that address all the issues against it, because the world and other people like myself would not like to see something ironical happen after the peace has been signed, let us be pacifist rather than being warriors by failing not to to perdict the future consequences and benefits.
Garang Ayang Kuoi
Based in the U.S.A and can be reach at [email protected]