Sudan starts consultations on Darfur peace process

October 16, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese government launched today a large consultation meeting on Darfur crisis in order to set out a national vision towards the end of the five years conflict where more that 300000 people where killed since 2003.

The Sudan’s people initiative conference began its settings Thursday in the capital Khartoum with the participation of Egypt, Eritrea, Qatar, the African Union and the Arab League chiefs. Also the former rebel leader turned Senior Presidential Assistant, Minni Minawi, attended the meeting besides the First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayadrit.

The Sudanese President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir reiterated his commitment for a lasting peace in Darfur. He also pledged to support the voluntary return of the displaced to their villages and to provide them the necessary security and protection. He also promised to protect the IDPs rights.

Speaking in the opening session today, Bashir also said a political solution should be founded on the basis of the federal system and the signed agreements. How ever he added that the negative aspects should be handled during the peace talks.

During his tour to the Darfur states last July, the Sudanese President said he would invite the rebel groups and all the political forces should be associated. However, today conference was attended by the political parties member of the ruling coalition while the opposition parties were divided.

The Umma party of the former Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi attended the meeting with delegation from the Democratic Unionist Party of Mohamed Osman Al-Mirghani. However, the popular Conference Party of Hassan Al-Turabi and the Communist Party didn’t take part in the conference as well as a number of small political parties.

The rebel movements criticised the meeting saying it was an attempt to save the embattled Sudanese president from facing justice.

Abdel Wahid Al-Nur the head of the SLM said the conference is no more than an attempt to deliver Bashir from the international Court of Justice “They want to show that there is a peace process … but the fact on the ground is that they are killing people.”

The rebel chief further said that better for the government to restore security and to organise the return of the displaced to their villages and disarm their militias to show their seriousness about peace “they have to act instead of lying” he said.

Ahmed Hussein Ahmed the Spokesperson of Justice and Equality Movement also criticised the initiative describing it as show to divert the attention for the real problems.

He further said there is no need for such conference because the government knows the demands of Darfur people and “they need to take decision not to organise such consultations.”

Mahgoub Hussein the spokesperson of the SLM- Unity rejected the conference and such it is better for the forum to discuss the indictment of the Sudanese president by the ICC. He also said that his movement recognises only the direct talks on the five agendas related to security arrangements, IDPs and refugees, power sharing, wealth sharing and regional autonomy.

Numerous initiatives have been started to bring peace to Darfur since rebels there rose up against Khartoum almost six years ago, complaining of marginalisation, but all have failed.

The joint mediator for Darfur peace talks, Djibril Bassole, said the conference as such represent a good step from the government to end the five year conflict in western Sudan.

“I believe that this initiative is the main initiative because for peace we need the commitment of the government, and this initiative is a very good commitment,” he said.

However the U.S. charge d’affaires in Sudan, Alberto Fernandez, said government needs to prove its credibility.

“If it is a true process, if this is the beginning of a true change, a substantive change in the way Darfur has been handled, then it would be supported by people,” he said.

“But there is a problem. The government lacks credibility because of the last five years. So there is doubt in the minds of many.

In October 2007, UN-and AU-mediated talks on Darfur in the Libyan city of Sirte aimed at convincing key rebel leaders to join the peace talks quickly collapsed after the main rebel groups boycotted the event.

(ST)