Arab competition over roles slowing Darfur initiative: Qatar
January 12, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – A senior Qatari official today said that competition among Arab countries is slowing down efforts to formulate an initiative to resolve the five years Darfur conflict.
However Al-Thani refused to name the contesting countries he was referring to.
Today the Qatari official met with Sudan presidential adviser Mustafa Ismail to discuss efforts to convene peace talks for Darfur warring parties.
Last September the Arab League foreign ministers formed a ministerial body co-chaired by the Qatari foreign Minister, Hamad bin Jasim Al-Thani, Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Jean Ping and Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa.
The panel is charged with the organization and sponsorship of peace negotiations between the Sudanese government and the rebel movements. Qatar has been chosen to host the peace talks.
However Darfur rebel groups appeared hesitant to accept the Qatari sponsorship of talks saying that the Arab Gulf State cannot be a neutral broker given its strong relations with Khartoum.
Some observers have also pointed out that Egypt is uncomfortable with the Qatari role as they consider Sudan their own backyard.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit had made statements in the past stressing that the new Darfur initiative is an Arab one and not owned by one single country.
Another Arab country Libya, failed in October 2007 to deliver rebels to participate in Sirte talks.
When Saudi Arabia secured a peace accord between Sudan and its neighboring Chad in May 2007 to end bloodshed in Darfur region the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi described it as “laughable”.
Gaddafi said it was no different than an agreement he brokered between the two countries the month before. The statements signaled dissatisfaction by Libya of role played by another country in the Darfur conflict.
The Sudanese government and rebel movements negotiated during two years a peace deal in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, but only a faction led by Minni Minawi signed in May 2006 a deal that didn’t make change on the ground.
(ST)