Sudanese watchdog condemns govt violation of Darfur DPA

November 19, 2006 — The African Union Mission in The Sudan (Khartoum: November 16th, 2006) reported a flagrant violation of the security provisions of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) by GOS attacks and aerial bombardments on Birmaza, in North Darfur “in conjunction with armed militia group, with heavy toll on the civilian population.”

Since approval of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) by the government and sections of the Darfur rebel groups, Khartoum political plans and military actions have been consistently performed to enforce the DPA, irrespective of protesting observations from many Darfurian groups and other major parties and civil society groups in Sudan.

Upper-hand politics by the Naivasha CPA, the government’s non-commitment to agreements with the United Nations and the African Union (as exhibited in the conflicting announcements of the government in Addis Ababa and Khartoum towards joint UN/AU forces in Darfur, most recently), flagrant violations of the parties’ obligations to the DPA and the AU, in addition to the government-rebels uncompromising partisan interests continue to fail both national and international efforts to ensure deserved participation of all Sudanese parties in the national decision making of the Darfur Crisis.

The Sudan Human Rights Organization condemns the parties’ insistence on partisan interests at expense of the prompt agenda to maintain the human rights of the civilian population of Darfur.

SHRO-Cairo reiterates the African Union Mission’s call on all parties to the conflict “to exercise restraint and desist from carrying out condemnable indiscriminate attacks which cause severe civilian casualties and the destruction of livelihoods.’

The Organization asks the GONU constitutional institutions, specifically the National Council and the South Sudan Government, to take firm stands and measures in collaboration with the Sudanese anti-war opposition parties to curb the government-led military attacks in the region. These essential measures, in the spirit of the Naivasha CPA, should help further to end the crisis and to process the decent return of the displaced people of Darfur into their homes with full due compensations. The Organization asks equally the rebel groups to stop all military reactions, as well.

– GOS must collaborate fully with the UN Security Council and the African Union to establish the order and the rule of law in the region, according to Resolution 1706.

– An All-Sudanese Constitutional Conference composed of the government, the opposition, and civil society groups should immediately convene under the auspices of the United Nations and the other regional and international concerned parties to ensure a lasting and just peace in the region with full consideration to the CPA in light of the observations of the country’s national opposition groups.