Sudanese President entrusted to head Darfur national conference
August 16, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — The national unity government main partners agreed to choose President Omer al-Bashir as chairman of a national conference to resolve Darfur conflict.
The joint committee between the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan people’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) agreed to entrust the president of the Republic to head the Sudan People’s Initiative, in a meeting held last Thursday August 14.
The two parties also said they completed their bilateral consultations on the objectives and the mechanism of the national conference to end the five years conflict in Darfur. They further denied the existence of divergences over the chairmanship of the forum with other political forces.
They also asserted that all the political forces will be invited to take part without discrimination.
But, the Democratic Unionist Party of Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani accused the two parties of working to exclude al-Mirghani initiative for a comprehensive national reconciliation launched last June.
The spokesperson of al-Mirghani initiative, Osman Omer al-Sharif said there would be no reconciliation or peace without the initiative of his leader. He further added they do not trust a government that undermined Garang-Mirghani agreement of 1989.
The DUP official was referring to the coup d’état of 30 June 1989 organised by the National Islamic Front to prevent the organisation of a national conference to abrogate Islamic legislation imposed by the former president Nimeiri and to separate state and religion.
Also the political secretary at the Popular Congress Party of Hassan al-Turabi, said Bashir is not qualified to head such gathering because the NCP is part of the conflict in Darfur. Kamal Omer added the SPLM should chair the conference because it is acceptable to other parties and rebel movements.
On August 11, the NCP-SPLM committee agreed on the objectives of the Sudan’s People Initiative.
NCP member and former South Darfur governor, Atta Al Mannan, unveiled the main objectives of the national conference on Darfur, saying it aims at finding a lasting political solution for Darfur crisis and addressing the social root causes of the conflict.
The initiative intends to bring justice for Darfur people, fight the violence and to restore security in the region, he said. Adding, it also should adopt a plan to reconstruct and develop the economy of the three states in Darfur.
The conference also should tackle the humanitarian aspect of the crisis including the issue of security, repatriation of the displaced and refugees to their villages after receiving their due compensations.
(ST)
Ana Tafengi
Sudanese President entrusted to head Darfur national conference
Now the lion is supposed to oversee the security of the gazelles! History in the making in terms of absurdity and unpracticality!
Thyinka
It sound like a Kenyan commission of Inquiry
In kenya, when there is a problem involving big policians, the government forms a commission of inquiry so as to allay public concern. When the results and recommendations are eventually released, they are left to collect dust in government archives.
This is pure politics, No one can trust Bashir and his cronies to solve darfur problem to the satisfaction of all the parties involved.
One thing is clear though, Bashir is beginning to feel some heat about the Darfur issue. Gone are the days of the rhetoric of not yielding to external pressure.It’s no longer a government of Sudan’s problem, it is Bashir’s and he must do something to save his neck.