Arab and African committee calls to make Doha only venue for peace in Darfur
January 6, 2011 (DOHA) — African and Arab ministerial committee on Darfur renewed today its support to the peace process sponsored by the State of Qatar to end the seven year conflict in western Sudan and called to bring together all the ongoing initiatives under the Doha forum.
The call takes place as the Sudanese government withdrew its negotiating delegation from Doha announcing the launch of an internal process supported by the former South African president Thabo Mbeki who heads an African panel on Darfur.
The Joint Chief Mediator Djibril Bassole who leads the Doha process jointly with the Qatari state minister for foreign affairsAhmed bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud expressed doubts that such process would achieve a lasting peace in the restive region particularly it exclude the rebel groups.
The Ministerial Committee “Renewed their support for the Doha Peace Process led by the State of Qatar and the AU-UN Joint Chief Mediator, under the auspices of the League of Arab State, the African Union, as the only platform for the settlement of the Darfur conflict,” said a press statement released in Doha on Thursday.
The Arab and African support to the Doha process makes obvious the growing divergences between the Doha mediators and the Sudanese government and Mbeki on the other hand.
The meeting attended by the head of the African Union Peace and Security Council “called for the convergence of all peace initiatives and efforts into one single track in the Doha forum with all the support it needs to succeed”.
The members of the Afro Arab committee also “noted” the presence in Doha of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and its commitment to negotiate a ceasefire agreement before to start peace talks.
The participants “welcomed this development as an important step towards achieving a comprehensive and inclusive political settlement” in Darfur. They further urged the Sudanese government and JEM rebels “to agree on a ceasefire as soon as possible in the interest of peace and security in Darfur”.
After its departure from Doha, Sudanese delegation said it would follow discussion with the mediators on the peace process. However, it was not clear if the government intends to resume talks on ceasefire with JEM rebels or their contacts will be limited to a draft peace agreement with Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM).
Khartoum rejected two days ago a package of proposals submitted by the mediation aiming to break deadlock over four pending issues in the negotiations with LJM rebels. Mainly Sudanese government refuses propositions related to the status of Darfur region and a post of vice president.
The joint meeting also welcomed a proposal made by the mediation to establish the Darfur Comprehensive Peace Agreement Implementation Follow-up Commission (IFC). It was reported that this committee would be chaired by Qatar.
It also welcomed “the Mediation’s plan to propose to the Parties, the adoption of a Framework Process for Consultation and Dialogue that will facilitate the promotion of peace culture, reconciliation and socio-economic progress amongst the people of Darfur”.
Plans for peace in Darfur adopted by Doha mediators, include the same components of the plans proposed by the Sudanese government but they differ on the place of Darfur rebels in the making of peace there.
The meeting was attended by Moussa Faki Mohamed, Chadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdelkader Musahil, Algerian Minister Delegate for Maghreb and African Affairs, Faisal Makdad, Syrian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, besides representatives from Eritrea, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Libya, Egypt and Morocco.
From the regional organizations there were Ramtane Lamamra, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Samir Hosni, Representative of the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Mohamed Al Madani AL AZHARI, Secretary General of the CENSAD, Habib Kaabachi, Reps of the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference and representative of Malawi Chair of the African Union.
(ST)