Sudanese president says no Darfur peace talks in Doha beyond Dec 31st

December 30, 2010 (KHARTOUM/DOHA) — President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir threatened to withdraw government delegation from the Doha peace process if no agreement is signed on Thursday 30 December.

Al- Bashir gave his ultimatum Wednesday from Nyala capital of South Darfur state where he witnessed a reconciliation conference between tribes in the region.

“If we reach an agreement tomorrow, praise be to God. But if there is no agreement, we will withdraw our negotiating team” stressing that the talks will be held in Darfur.

“The negotiation and dialogue will be inside Darfur and with the Darfur people. We will not negotiate with any person who carries a gun and claims that he is a leader of an armed faction,” he emphasized.

“We will fight those who choose to take up arms, but we will sit next to those who want development,” he further said.

In a process backed by the African Union and Arab League with the support of the United Nations, Sudan and the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) agreed on February 17, 2009 to hold peace talks in Doha.

But the parties failed to hold direct talks and the process resumed in 2010 with a framework agreement signed in Doha one year later in February 2010. Meanwhile, another group formed by small factions, Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) started talks in March this year with the government.

JEM walked out of the process in May and returned last November to Doha where the rebel group is holding talks on ceasefire with the government delegation there.

On the other hand, LJM finalized talks with Khartoum delegation and the mediation is preparing a draft peace agreement but the two parties still disagree on power sharing file.

BASSOLE REGRETS

Joint Chief Mediator, Djibril Bassole, regretted Bashir’s statements saying “the position of the Sudanese government to withdraw its delegation threatens the whole process”.

“We will propose a number of steps to the Sudanese delegations and we hope the government can take part in these steps to reach a fruitful agreement in the interest of Darfur region.”

Bassole said he will try to convince the government to not suspend its participation in the process as the parties have realized considerable progress.

He further told Sudan Tribune that a meeting with Sudan’s envoys five permanent members in the UN Security Council and European Union as well as African-Arab committee on Darfur will be held in Doha on 6th January.

The meeting will discuss the peace process and set the way forward.

Sudanese Presidential Adviser Ghazi Salah Al-Deen who is in charge of Darfur file arrived Wednesday evening to the Qatari capital where he will meet the mediation on Thursday.

WAITING FOR ACCEPTABLE AGREEMENT, LJM SAYS

Reacting to Sudanese president statements on the end of Doha process, the LJM said instead of “Inflammatory remarks” Bashir can instruct his delegation to soften its position on the outstanding issues to reach a peace deal.

“The government has the ability to make the necessary compromises to reach peace in Darfur. Our position reflects the just demands of Darfurians,” said Tadjadine Beshir Niam, LJM chief negotiator.

The rebel official said when the mediation submits an “acceptable peace deal” they will sign it.

The LJM and Sudanese government disagree on the issue of Darfur region status and the position of vice president. The rebels want a regional authority able to coordinate between the three states and the central government in Khartoum but the government refuses to concede to this request.

One of the options tackled to end this deadlock is to appoint a vice president from Darfur who will be the head of the regional authority there but this solution also was declined by the government.

Omar Adam Rahma, spokesperson of the government negotiating delegation rejected any discussion on the status of Darfur region stressing that Darfur people can decide a referendum on the future of the region.

He said that the establishment of one authority would lead to another war in Darfur through the struggle for power and resources.

GoS DRAGGING ITS FEET, JEM ACCUSES

Ahmed Hussein spokesperson for the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said that the government delegation in Doha was dragging its feet for four days on attending talks on crafting a cessation of hostilities document that it is agreed on between two sides.

“We came to Doha in order to negotiate in good faith but it appears that the government has set its mind on withdrawing from the peace process well before Bashir made his statements today,” Hussein told Sudan Tribune by phone from Doha.

“The government delegation was making unreasonable and impossible demands (during cessation of hostilities talks) that were clearly made for the purpose of sabotaging the negotiations so they can find an excuse to call it off and go home,” he further said.

“Despite these tactics we have been very patient and objective in our talks because we want the process to move forward,” Hussein added.

The JEM official describes Bashir’s ultimatum as a “serious blow to the peace efforts and hopes for reaching an agreement that fulfils the aspirations of the Darfuri people”.

“This signifies his [Bashir] intentions to resume the genocidal campaign in Darfur. It appears he is receiving misleading information about the situation of his troops on the ground. The Sudanese army is in bad shape and Arab tribes in their militias are defecting,” Hussein said.

“That is why it is in Khartoum’s best interest to reach a peace agreement with us. They will not win the war. The entire country is politically deadlocked and he will simply make things worse for him,” he added.

Sudan’s withdrawal from the Doha process without reaching a peace deal with any of the rebel groups would hinder its initial strategy for the post Southern Sudan secession.

The government said it intends to sign a peace deal with LJM and open it for the other groups to join it.

In a parallel approach, the government said it would stage internal dialogue with the different tribal and civil society forces including the displaced persons and refugees to promote reconciliation and development.

The UNAMID and former South African president plan to play a role in the implementation of this strategy.

However, the growing insecurity following the renewal of fighting with Minni Minnawi the signatory of Darfur Peace Agreement is seen as new factor to increase violence in the region and a setback to the situation before 2005.

The growing violence in Darfur and political instability in Khartoum will complicate the implementation of a number of steps in the post referendum period and jeopardize the whole process engaged after 2005 peace process.

(ST)