Demobilization is stalled, Sudan peace terms not implemented – UN chief
February 5, 2009 (NEW YORK) – Demobilization of the armed parties in Sudan has stalled, while key provisions of the country’s 2005 peace agreement have not been implemented as a criminal indictment looms over Sudan’s president, said a report by the UN Secretary-General to the Security Council.
According to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s report, “reintegration and preparations for the referendum [for South Sudan’s independence in 2011] and popular consultations remain key outstanding Comprehensive Peace Agreement [CPA] issues.”
The report, prepared in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1590, provides an assessment of the overall situation in the country from October 20, 2008 until January 18, 2009.
Among the contested issues in the Sudan, the peace terms on sharing of oil revenues remain a bitter political battleground for the two CPA signatories, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and the northern Islamist ruling party. By the end of November 2008, arrears to the Government of Southern Sudan had increased to $286.83 million, said the secretary-general.
The National Electoral Commission, which was sworn in several months late on November 25, 2008, “will need to rapidly build up its staff and offices” in order to prepare for elections, said the report, which further warned that “at the national, regional and state levels technical challenges call into question the feasibility of holding comprehensive and credible elections by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement target date of July 2009.”
Outstanding issues like these have contributed to a tense military build-up even as Sudan enjoys the first period of North-South peace since before the nation’s second civil war began in 1983. “The verified redeployment percentage of SPLA forces remains at 10.6 per cent of the 59,168 SPLA troops initially stated to be north of the current border line. While SPLA claims that there are no troops beyond those already verified, it has not proposed any amendment to its initial figures,” said the UN chief, referring to figures provided by UN military monitors.
Areas north of the North-South border, such as Southern Kordofan, remain awash in small arms and highly militarized with government-aligned militias, SPLA forces and former SPLA elements—though some of these deployments are permitted in accordance with the terms of treaty. Ban stated that residents of the area are dissatisfied, noting that “recurrent low-scale conflicts are of concern in the light of the sizeable presence of troops of both parties in or near the state.”
Other areas contested by guerillas during the war remain militarized. “Demobilization activities in Blue Nile State have been postponed for technical reasons and are now expected to begin in early 2009,” said the report.
The disputed and oil-rich Abyei area, where clashes broke out in May 2008 and again on a smaller scale in December, remains a military flashpoint. According to Ban’s report, only up to 15,000 of 50,000 civilians displaced in the May fighting have returned, and two thirds of those fled once again in December.
Joint Integrated Units, which are supposed to form the nucleus of Sudan’s new national army, lack support from the national government and “continue to face substantial problems with logistics, finances, chain of command and full integration,” said the UN chief.
Many even lack appropriate communications equipment, transportation, administrative facilities, accommodation, water, sanitation and weaponry, he said.
“Momentum in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme needs to be maintained,” observed Ban.
Within the South, security concerns and many non-integrated armed elements complicate disarmament. “Civilian disarmament remains uneven across Southern Sudan leaving many communities feeling vulnerable,” said Ban.
“Communities in Eastern Equatoria refused to disarm in the light of the LRA threat, violence in parts of Jonglei and Lakes State brought disarmament efforts to a halt while comprehensive disarmament has yet to start in Upper Nile and Western Bahr el Ghazal.”
However, the UN Secretary-General did point to some developments he characterized as positive, mainly on the technical level.
He also noted, “Incidents of arbitrary arrest by the National Security Intelligence Services continued to be a major human rights concern in the north.”
None of these matters are open for public scrutiny in the Sudan, because “restrictions on freedom of expression and the media, including daily press censorship, continued unabated,” stated the UN secretary-general.
(ST)