SLM’s Nur urges UN’s Annan to intervene in Darfur peace process
May 24, 2006 (ABUJA) — A Drafur rebel faction urged Yesterday the UN Secretary General to intervene in the current peace process in Darfur and to obtain concessions from Khartoum allowing them to join the signed peace agreement.
In a letter sent Tuesday 23 May to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, a faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Abdelwahid al- Nur appealed Kofi Annan to help “bridge the gap between us and the GoS with the ultimate goal of reaching a comprehensive and sustainable peace in Darfur”.
Al-Nur wants Khartoum to meet three key demands in an annex accord before he signs. The demands are for greater compensation for victims of the war, more political posts for the SLA and greater involvement in disarming the Janjaweed. But the government has already rebuffed him.
On Tuesday May 16, the UN Security Council passed unanimously a resolution that threatens “strong and effective measures” — diplomatic language for sanctions — against anyone who stands in the way of a May 5 peace agreement signed by the Sudanese government and Darfur’s main rebel group.
In a communiqué released after the 51st meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council, the pan-African body urged SLM-al-Nur,, and Khalil Ibrahim of the rebel JEM to sign the peace agreement by May 31.
The communiqué said the AU would push the United Nations Security Council to take action against the two smaller rebel groups if they did not meet the new May 31 deadline. The action shall include a travel ban, asset freeze and weapons embargo.
Below the text of the SLM-al-Nur to the UN Secretary General:
Date: May 23, 2006
To:
His Excellency, Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary General
United Nations
Subject: Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA)
Dear: Mr. Secretary General,
We commend the AU, the facilitators, the partners, the observers, and everyone who participated in the Inter-Sudanese Peace Talks on the Darfur conflict, for their hard work that has gone into producing the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA). There is much in the text of the Agreement that we can agree with. However, the Agreement has failed to address several key fundamental demands that are important to the people of Darfur. In this respect, we have consistently made the following three important demands:
An adequate compensation from the GoS for the individuals and families who have suffered losses during the conflict. The monetary, moral and the psychological compensation are all crucial in creating a healthy environment that is necessary to realizing reconciliation and re-knitting of the broken social fabric in Darfur. The Document has failed to properly address this issue in such away that would help bringing peace, security and tranquility in Darfur;
Sufficient Security Arrangement that includes a clear mechanism and specific timeline for disarming the Janjaweed and other armed militias as well as the involvement of SLM/A in the return activities of IDPs and refugees back to their original villages. We believe that the scorched-earth policy campaign, perpetrated by the GoS and aided by its proxy militia (the Janjaweed), has made IDPs, refugees and alike to lose confidence in GoS troops as being the only forces which will help repatriate and the resettle them back to their villages and towns. The GoS has also incorporated the Janjaweed into its Para-military forces, regular armed forces and police. With more impunity than ever the Janjaweed, now under the guise of government forces, roam Darfur, terrorizing innocent civilians, stalking IDPs camps where they intimidate the inhabitants by raping women, and abducting children. These are the same armed forces and police that are supposed to protect the IDPs and refugees inside the camps and throughout the region. Therefore, any security arrangement, especially concerning the return activities of the IDPs and refugees to their original villages, shall be done through the establishment of joint units to include SLM/A forces, in addition to, the participation of the SLM/A in all mechanisms and monitoring commissions that are responsible for disarming the Janjaweed and other armed militias.
The question of political representation both at the national, regional and the local levels. As you will be aware, the root cause of the Darfur conflict is a political one. Inequitable share in power has always been a disadvantage to the region of Darfur. The people of Darfur would like to be recognized through equitable representation, not only at the national government, but also at the regional and local levels in Darfur. Our demand for a majority ruling in the region of Darfur (at all levels of government) is crucial, and constitutes an integral part in ensuring that the peace agreement is fully implemented and to the satisfaction of all that are involved, especially the people of Darfur.
Taking into account the above-mentioned concerns, and since May 5th, 2006, we have, consistently, been asking for a supplementary document that addresses these specific demands to be attached to the Darfur Peace Agreement. Our commitment to achieving a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace in Darfur is well-in-doubt. Therefore, Mr. Secretary General, on behalf of the people of Darfur, I appeal to you to help us bridge the gap between us and the GoS with the ultimate goal of reaching a comprehensive and sustainable peace in Darfur.
Mr. Secretary General,
The situation in Darfur today is grave and dangerous and may well lead to counter-genocide. We have always known that, the ultimate objective of the peace agreement is to bring peace, security, and tranquility in Darfur. The Agreement, instead, has brought unrest and chaos in Darfur, especially in IDPs camps. The people of Darfur have expressed their discontentment and have clearly rejected the Agreement signed on May 5th, 2006, by demonstrating in cities across Sudan, including Khartoum and all IDPs camps in Darfur.
We are dismayed and saddened by the killings of people in cities in Darfur during the past two weeks, as well as we are saddened by the destruction of some of AU’s properties in Darfur. We are calling on our people to show restraint and to remain calm during these times. We propose that our urgent priority is for all participants in the Darfur peace process to work together with other UN member states, to calm the situation and prevent further loss of lives, by deploying a robust, well-equipped, highly experienced, and fully mandated UN peace keeping force into Darfur as quickly as possible.
The UN and its member states have a vital role to play to ensure that years from now survivors in Darfur are not subject to a Rwandan-style round of apologies from world leaders who have the opportunity now to change history and save lives in Darfur.
Yours truly,
Abdulwahid Mohamed Ahmed Elnur
Chairman and Commander in Chief
Sudan Liberation Movement/Army
Cc./
H.E. George Bush, President of the USA
H.E. Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the UK
H.E. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada
H.E. Jacques Chirac, President of France
H.E. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
H.E. Hu Jintao, President of the People’s Republic of China
H.E. Javier Solano-EU High Commissioner, responsible for Foreign Affairs
H.E. President Olusegun Obasanjo, President Nigeria
H.E. President Sasou-Nguesso, President of the Congo Republic and current President of the African Union
H.E. Alpha Oumar Konare, Chairman of the African Union
Contact info:
Nouri Abdalla, SLM/A
Email: [email protected]
(ST)