Darfur peace talks 2 to involve all holdout groups – AU mediator
Dec 2, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The African Union’s top mediator for Darfur peace talks said it was agreed in Khartoum with the stakeholders to negotiate with all holdout groups in order to consolidate the current peace agreement.
Salim Ahmed Salim, Special Envoy of the AU Chairperson and chief mediator for Darfur peace talks said in a press conference held in Khartoum Saturday that it was agreed with all the signatories of the DPA to address the concern of non-signatories and to involve them all in the negotiations.
“The ideal would be to bring them all on board; but if this is not possible, the second best thing would be that as many as possible should be brought in.” Salim said.
He told the press that during the consultations also it was agreed “to streamline the various initiatives and try as much as possible to bring them under one umbrella”.
Eritrea and Libya proposed tow initiative to mediate with holdout rebel groups. But it was agreed that, at the UN-AU meeting on 16 November 2006, the forthcoming mediation with the non signatories will be undertaken by the AU and the UN. “Contacts are underway with the UN to see how to organize this co-mediation.” He added.
Following Khartoum consultations, the top mediator said they would contact the commanders on the ground and the political leadership of rebel groups outside the Sudan.
“In the light of these consultations, we shall chart the way forward.”
Salim called on all parties in the conflict to stop the hostilities and to engage in dialogue, but expressed optimism for an improved situation in Darfur after an extension of the African Union peacekeeping mission’s mandate.
During his visit to the Sudanese capital Salim met President Omar Hassan El Bashir, Minni Minawi, Senior Assistant to the President, Majzoub Al Khalifa, Presidential Advisor; Mustafa Osman Ismail, President Advisor; Taye Zerihoun, Officer-in-charge of the United Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS); Amb. Tom Vraalsen, Chairman of the Assessment and Evaluation Commission (AEC); and the signatories of the Declaration of Commitment.
Sudanese government signed a peace deal with a SLM faction led by Minni Minawi on May 5 but two other groups that took part in the talks refused to endorse it, leading to an escalation of the more than three-year-old conflict.
On August 31, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1706 which calls for the deployment of 20,000 peacekeepers to take over from the ill-equipped AU mission currently in operation in Darfur.
Sudan has strongly rejected this resolution. President al-Bashir agreed on Friday to accept non-military support from the United Nations for the AU peacekeepers.
More than 200,000 people have died in the region and more than two million people fled their homes, according to the UN.
(ST)