US envoy urges Darfur deal, democratic elections
March 6, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — U.S. envoy for Sudan Andrew Natsios said on Tuesday only a negotiated deal and democratic elections would bring peace to Sudan’s western Darfur region, where Washington says genocide has taken place.
Natsios also urged fuller implementation of a separate north-south 2005 peace deal which ended Africa’s longest civil war. The conflict killed an estimated 2 million people.
“People who believe that a military victory is going to solve the problem in Darfur are wrong,” he said.
“Only a negotiated peace settlement followed by democratic elections that are free and fair … are going to bring ultimate peace to the province.”
President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has ruled at the head of a military government since a coup in 1989.
Natsios urged “true democracy” in Sudan, where all regions of the country would have adequate representation in a central government in Khartoum.
Natsios visited the former southern rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) headquarters in Khartoum. Under the north-south deal, a coalition government was formed in Khartoum and elections are due by the end of 2009.
He said the people of Sudan needed a multitude of political parties to ensure the elections reflect national opinion.
“This party headquarters … is evidence that the SPLM is now a national party not just a regional party which means that people will have a choice in elections in 2009 between different parties.”
But implementation of the north-south deal has faltered and disputes over the oil-rich area of Abyei and petroleum production developed into mud-slinging at public meetings between the former foes in January.
“When you sign a peace agreement or you pass a law in a democracy you don’t choose to implement some provisions and ignore other provisions — you implement everything,” Natsios told reporters, without singling out either northern or southern politicians for criticism
MEET BASHIR
Natsios, who has worked on Sudan for many years, is due to meet Bashir to end his visit on Wednesday. He declined to comment on what he expected from the meeting.
But a U.S. State Department spokesman in Washington said he would press Bashir to accept a U.N.-African Union hybrid peacekeeping force to stem the Darfur violence.
Bashir has refused to accept a large U.N. force for Darfur and international diplomacy is now focused on persuading Khartoum to allow in more international forces under African auspices.
Khartoum denies genocide in Darfur, a term European governments are also reluctant to use.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) last week named a junior government minister and a pro-government militia leader as war crimes suspects in Darfur. Sudan says the ICC has no jurisdiction over its nationals and refuses to send any Sudanese for trial outside the country.
The state news agency SUNA said ICC suspect Ali Kushayb would be tried in a Darfur court on Wednesday.
Mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in early 2003 accusing the central government of neglect. Khartoum responded by mobilising militias from mostly Arab tribes to quell the revolt.
(Reuters)