Letter to the Sudanese people

By Suleiman Jamous*

August 5, 2007 — I am writing this appeal as a Sudanese citizen, a Muslim, and a son of Darfur. For the last 13 months I have been confined to a hospital room in Kadugli, South Kordofan. During these months I have watched in frustration as the war in Darfur continues without real progress towards peace. I have also watched as the hopes for unity and democracy shrink, not to mention the hopes for the DPA.

The people of Darfur are crying out for a settlement that allows them to live in peace and harmony, to return to their villages and rebuild their communities. For them, everything is at stake in the meeting in Arusha. The planned negotiations with the government are much too important to be allowed to fail.

Every Sudanese must support the effort to achieve a peace settlement for Darfur. Nothing less than the future of the nation of Sudan is at stake.

Along with every Sudanese I welcomed the CPA. Our brothers and sisters in the South had suffered long. At last, their fair and just demands were met. I congratulate them and hope that the fair and just demands of Darfur will also be met.

Once there is peace in Darfur then the CPA can fulfill its promise of democracy, if it is honestly implemented. Once there is peace in Darfur, then it is possible for all Sudanese to work together to make unity attractive. A CPA that is translated into action, in addition to peace in Darfur with democratic elections, is the best chance for the unity of Sudan.

Our Sudanese way of resolving our problems is to sit and discuss until we reach a consensus. We should do that, but we should also be mindful that the Sudanese people are impatient for progress. If we delay we will miss our historic moment and our chance for democracy and unity will be lost for long, if not forever.

The peace process launched by the AU and UN envoys in Arusha cannot be allowed to fail. I call on all parties to clear all obstacles from the road to a sustainable and durable peace in Darfur.

* The author is the Humanitarian Coordinator SLM. He is currently confined in the UN Military Hospital in Kadugli, southern Kordofan.