NCP approves new “domestication” strategy on Darfur

30 July, 2010 (Khartoum) – The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has approved a new strategy on Darfur and promised to present it to other political parties in order to garner as much national consensus as possible for the strategy.

Sudan’s official news agency, SUNA, reported that the meeting of the NCP’s leadership bureau on 29 July, chaired by president Al-Bashir, approved the new Darfur strategy as presented by the presidential adviser Ghazi Salah Al-Deen who is in charge of the Darfur dossier.

The strategy will be presented to the legislative councils of Darfur’s three states in line with the strategy’s direction of domesticating the solution to all issues related to Darfur problem, including security, development, reconciliations, humanitarian situation and political negotiations

Ghazi Salah Al-Deen declared that the strategy would be presented to political forces and national personalities in order to explore their views and muster as much national consensus as possible for the strategy.

However, two Darfur rebel figures excoriated the new strategy as a plan for “a new security and military campaign that include, among other things, dismantling the IDP camps.

“The regime now believes the international community gave them the green light to do whatever they want in Darfur since the focus now shifted to the South Sudan referendum” Justice and Equality Movement spokesperson Ahmed Hussein told Sudan Tribune.

“Their vision is to domesticate the Darfur peace by finding what they called peace from within and got [US special envoy Scott] Gration’s approval. They have tried this before in the South and failed” he said, adding that “Khartoum believes that resolving the crisis entails taking down the camps for the displaced and forcing their return to their villages.”

Echoing a similar opinion, JEM’s top military commander Suleiman Sandal also accused the Sudanese government of seeking to launch a new military campaign in Darfur and in Kordofan, stressing that their target is “the marginalized people”.

“The National Congress Party is lying and deceiving the Sudanese people. The fugitive president wants to start a new genocide campaign in Darfur” Sandal said.

Earlier this month, judges at the International Criminal Court issued a second warrant of arrest for president Bashir on three counts of genocide allegedly committed in Sudan’s westernmost region of Darfur.

(ST)