Darfur peace partner say ruling party not implementing agreement

By: Wasil Ali

October 25, 2007 (Abu Dhabi, UAE) — The only Darfur rebel group to sign the peace agreement with the Sudanese government threatened to take unspecified measures if the ruling party continue dragging their feet on the peace agreement implementation.

“The SLA revolutionary council will be meeting in a couple of months and we will be taking decisions in light of our assessment to the government’s commitment to the peace agreement they signed with us last year” Al-Tigani Abdullah, a senior adviser to the leader Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) leader by Minni Minawi told Sudan Tribune by phone.

The Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) signed in May 2006 between the Sudanese government and Minnawi’s faction has failed to stem the violence.

Most recently the Sudanese government attacked Minnawi’s bases in the town of Muhajirya using fighter jets killing at least 24 people.

“It is almost two years since we signed the DPA and the Sudanese government has implemented only 2% of it. Even the best agreement in the world will not bring peace if one of the sides does not honor it” Abdullah said.

The senior SLM official said that the government blatantly violated the terms of the DPA by not contributing funds to the Darfur Reconstruction and Development Fund. He said that Khartoum pledged to provide $700 million over three years in accordance with the DPA.

“Sudanese officials told us that security is now a priority over the development projects. We told them that insecurity will continue if people don’t feel an improvement in their lives” he added.

According to Abdullah Khartoum has not paid the salaries of the SLA forces until last May, a year after the DPA was signed. He also noted the government’s failure to integrate their forces into the army and disarming the notorious Jinjaweed militias.

Abdullah, who is also a member of the SLM revolutionary council, said that his group will not stand still while the ruling party continues to treat them as if they don’t exist.

“We are the most powerful faction on the ground controlling over 80% of Darfur and the government knows that very well” Abdullah said.

The SLM official slammed the African Union for failing to monitor the implementation of the DPA saying that the regional organization “lacks the courage to confront Khartoum with its breaches of the agreement”.

The statements highlight the frail political situation in Darfur ahead of the peace talks scheduled to be held over the weekend in Sirte, Libya.

Seven factions announced over the last couple of days that they will boycott the Libya peace talks including the powerful Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) throwing a debilitating blow to an already fragile political process.

The SLM faction led by Minnawi, who is also the presidential adviser, said it intends to attend Sirte talks independent of the government delegation.

However Abdullah said Khartoum blocked the initiative saying they will only go as part of the government delegation.

“We refused to accept that. We will not be able to achieve anything if we go there restricted by government instructions and its negotiating strategy” he said.

The SLM official expressed little hope in the success of the Sirte talks saying the Sudanese government signs agreements with the intent of reneging on them later.

The U.N. Security Council authorized a joint peacekeeping force in July to protect civilians from fighting that has driven 2.5 million people from their homes over the last four years.

International experts estimate 200,000 people have died in the conflict, which Washington calls genocide, a term European governments are reluctant to use. The Sudan government says 9,000 people have been killed.

(ST)