Darfur IDPs tell US envoy no peace without security

July 20, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — Darfur internally displaced persons (IDPs) told the US envoy to Sudan they consider peace in Darfur could not be achieved without a lasting solution for the security issue.

Scott Gration who is visiting Sudan currently, met with 48 IDPs representatives of Darfur camps in Kalma on Saturday July 18. The US official sought to hear their claims and points of view on the Doha peace process.

According to the UN estimations there are some 2.7 million residents in Darfur camps who fled their homes after indiscriminate attacks breaching the laws of war by the pro-government militias.

“We told him (Gration) that as long as these militias are not disarmed there would be no peace in Darfur even if a peace agreement is concluded because we are not sure they would lay down their arms after peace,” said Hussein Abu Sharati, the IDPs spokesperson.

Since the end of the nineties, the increasing attacks by the armed militias against the farmers triggered the affected people to accuse the government of supporting the janjaweed attacks and decided to hold arms against government in 2003.

The founder of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) Abdel Wahid Al-Nur who defends the IDPs position and refuses to take part at Doha talks before the disarmament of the government backed militias is seen by the displaced as their unique representative.

Hussein said that Gration asked them about their positions and demands for the peace talks.

“The IDPs delegates told him the government is negotiating with movements that do not represent us and not mainly concerned by our demands,” said Abu Saharti.

“We also stressed the need to see the expelled aid groups back in Darfur and we particularly insisted on MSF’s return because they were taking care of the health of our people.” However we also welcomed the arrival of new US NGOs because we need more than 13 aid groups,” he added.

Following the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against President Omer Al-Bashir, the Sudanese government evicted 13 aid groups and banned two Sudanese NGOs in Darfur. The decision affected the humanitarian situation but Khartoum pledges to allow new US aid groups to replace them.

(ST)