Darfur mediators resolved to pursue Libya peace talks
October 26, 2007 (PARIS) — Darfur top mediators regretted today the announced boycott by the main rebel groups. However they reiterated their determination to hold peace talks in Libya despite the absence of these groups.
“All this does not stop us from going ahead. If we were to delay this process, I think we would be taking serious risks and I do not think we would achieve much more by waiting.” Eliasson said upon his arrival to Sirte today.
“The objective here is to try to create conditions, when the talks begin, with the understanding and support of the Sudanese people. Clearly, the talks will start on Saturday.” Said AU envoy Salim Ahmed Salim.
It is not clear how government will negotiate with the absence of the most representative of rebel movements. Abdelwahid al-Nur the founder of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), Khalid Ibrahim of Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the newly formed SLM Unity of Abdalla Yahia who succeed to gather most of dissident rebels from Minni Minawi faction.
However, Salim Ahmed Salim believes that representatives from the civil society, traditional leaders and women have an important role to play in the talks.
“The government and the movements are not the only stakeholders. We have other stakeholders. We are going to have representatives of civil society, representatives of traditional leaders, and representatives of women groups and so on. This is definitely an important development.”
Al-Nur who rejects the whole political process, demands the deployment of the international peacekeepers to protect Darfur civilians and the implementation by the Sudanese government of a ceasefire agreement signed in 2004. He is supported by the displaced because he puts their security as sine qua non condition before the talks.
Khalil Ibrahim and Abdalla Yahya agreed to talks with the Sudanese government but they blame the mediation for not associate them in the preparation of the peace process. Yahya demands more time to gather other SLM factions while, Khalil criticizes the mediation for inviting breakaway factions. Both of them create a de facto alliance and coordinate their military operations and positions on the ongoing peace process.
Below the statements made by the UN Special Envoy, Jan Eliasson and AU Special Envoy, Salim Ahmed Salim in this respect today in Sirte:
Upon Arrival to Sirte Airport on 25 October 2007
Near-verbatim Transcript
The people of Darfur are waiting for a credible process to find a political solution.
We cannot only deal with peace-keeping and humanitarian action, we have to deal with the root causes of this conflict.
We now have a great opportunity to embark on a political road to settle the issues in Darfur. I hope we will get very good representation. I know there is always nervousness before a meeting of this magnitude.
We have not been favoured by developments on the ground. There have been tragic incidences, tragic developments on the ground that have affected this process. I know there is a bit of unrest, understandably, after years of frustration.
We have seen the split and splintering inside the movements, but also problems inside the government of Sudan. But all this does not stop us from going ahead. If we were to delay this process, I think we would be taking serious risks and I do not think we would achieve much more by waiting. The people of Darfur have waited for years.
The movements have been trying to get together and did great work. We had a good meeting in Arusha, Salim Salim and I with most of the movements, and that was a very important step forward. We were helped by the Security Council resolution 1769.
On that basis, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Chairman Konare of the African Union took the decision to set a date and a place for the talks.
Here we are, at the eve of the October 27th meeting in Sirte. It is an opportunity that should not be missed.
I would say to those who come, that they are doing the right thing for the course of the peace process. I will say to those who do not come that I regret it seems that some of them are not coming. I hope that they seize this opportunity and also accept the responsibility.
And above all, there are also those who I would like to address in the camps and villages in Darfur, who are not here. To those friends of ours, I would say here is a beginning of a period of hope and the beginning of a chance to go back to a life of normalcy.
I think what we should remember in our gathering, here, is the face of a child in a refugee camp. This child has been displaced for three years. If we keep that face infront of us, that will serve as a reminder of what this is all about.
Thank you, it is great to be here and I hope we will have success for this meeting.
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Upon Arrival at Sirte Airport on 25 October 2007
Near-verbatim Transcript
We are happy to be in Sirte. This is a historic city. It is the city that produced the African Union. I was here in 1999, when the declaration of the establishment of the AU was issued.
We think, with this history in mind, everyone will do their best to ensure the talks succeed.
The reality is that we spent the last eight months, Jan Eliasson and I, representing the UN and the AU, consulting extensively with the movements, consulting with the Government of Sudan, Civil Society, representatives of IDPs and traditional leaders.
The objective here is to try to create conditions, when the talks begin, with the understanding and support of the Sudanese people. Clearly, the talks will start on Saturday.
It is unfortunate that not all of them will be here but I think that our brothers of the movements will reflect and know that this is the time.
We had hoped naturally that all the principal parties will be here. It seems, tired of what is going on. The suffering that is going on in Darfur is absolutely unacceptable. The killings are unacceptable; the conditions of Darfurians in IDP camps are also unacceptable. Leaders of the factions and movements should know this. Their presence here is important in terms of finding a way out.
What is the alternative? The alternative is the continuation of carnage, the continuation of conflict. All the parties admit that the military solution cannot be the solution for the conflict. The GOS admit the military solution cannot be the solution. When you talk to the movements, either collectively or individually, they admit that the military solution is not the solution.
So, what is the solution? To sit down as Sudanese, as Darfurians and negotiate.
We, of the United Nations, of the African Union, of the international community, can only facilitate. But the ultimate responsibility of peace in Darfur lies with the people of Darfur.
The movements have an important role to play. The government has an important role to play. But the government and the movements are not the only stakeholders. We have other stakeholders. We are going to have representatives of civil society, representatives of traditional leaders, and representatives of women groups and so on. This is definitely an important development. Sirte is an opportunity for all Darfurians of all political affiliations, of all movements to sit down as Sudanese and as Darfurians and discuss about their destiny.
We have learnt from the experience of Abuja, where we confined our discussions only to the government and to the movements, at that time the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement. The people as a whole have a stake in what happens in Sudan. And the civil society in particular has a very important role to play. Our objective is that, at the end of the day, the agreement that comes out, whether it takes weeks or days or months, is an agreement that the people of Darfur can take ownership of.