Sudan agrees to appoint a vice-president from Darfur – top negotiator
May 30, 2011 (DOHA) — The All Darfur Stakeholders Conference agreed that a draft peace agreement crafted by the mediation should constitute a ground for peace in Darfur while the government announced in Doha it concedes to appoint a vice-president from the restive region of western Sudan.
Envoys from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, regional organizations and neighbouring countries took part in the assembly where the delegates behaved like football supporters applauding and shouting at the speakers.
State minister Amin Hassan Omer who chairs the government negotiating team told the gathering that Khartoum in principle rejects the idea to include in the constitution a position of vice-president for Darfur region because this might push other regions to claim the same position.
“However because we are keen to achieve peace and stability in the country, the government agrees, after discussions and concentrations, to appoint a vice-president from Darfur during the current presidential term only,” Amin said followed by applause by supporters of Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP).
The post of vice-president is one of three pending issues that the central government and the LJM failed to reach a compromise on. The two other outstanding matters are LJM’s rejection of a referendum on Darfur’s administrative status that Khartoum intends to hold in July and security arrangements as the two parties diverge on the integration of the rebel combatants.
All the stakeholders in Doha conference showed consensus during the different meetings over the draft peace agreement proposed by the mediation as valid grounds for peace in Darfur.
Nonetheless, the head of the governmental delegation pointed out that they are willing to seat with any rebel groups only to discuss “improvements of the drafted text” in a way to elucidate things and make the text clear to all the parties. But he ruled out any possibility to open new discussions of the seven chapters of the peace document.
Before him LJM leader Tijani El-Sissi told the gathering that his group is ready to sign a peace agreement after talks on the three outstanding issues.
Ahmed Tugud, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) chief negotiator, said the draft agreement submitted by the mediation constitutes a good ground to serve for further negotiations, stressing that a viable settlement for Darfur conflict requires the inclusion of all the other rebel movements, particularly the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) groups led by Abdel Wahid Al-Nur and Minni Minnawi.
EU Special Representative for Sudan, Rosalind Marsden and US special envoy to Sudan, Princeton Lyman who addressed the stakeholders before the Sudanese parties welcomed the draft peace agreement reached in Doha but emphasized on the need for inclusiveness and suggested the continuation of the talks.
The Chadian foreign minister Mousa Faki Mohamed called for the immediate signing of a peace agreement saying time has come to end this conflict which affects peace and stability in Chad and the region. There is no time to wait for those who are not willing for peace, he added.
Civil society and IDPs delegates expressed different views going from those who support the government position and called to immediately sign a peace agreement with the LJM, to those who are supportive to the rebel positions.
During the meeting, it was obvious that the NCP mobilized, besides supporters from civil society and tribal leaders, delegates from local administration in Darfur. Nonetheless IDPs included some delegates who dared to address the gathering to say how much they are opposed to a partial deal.
Amin Hassan Omer stressed that they allowed all the designated delegates from the camps to travel to Doha. Referring to the two delegates detained in Darfur, he said they were in prison before the conference and they were selected to embarrass the government.
ADOPTION OF DOHA PEACE DOCUMENT
The mediators told the press after the different meetings that the stakeholders in their different meetings since the 27 May agree that the draft peace document should serve as base for any comprehensive and lasting peace in Darfur.
Qatari state minister for foreign affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud told reporters that the stakeholders will adopt formally the draft peace document on Tuesday ending the five day conference.
“From now onwards, this text draws its legitimacy from the people of Darfur,” Al-Mahmoud said.
However, he was quick to indicate that no peace agreement will be signed on the Tuesday.
Burkina Faso foreign minister and Joint Chief Mediator Djibril Bassole pointed out that the government and the LJM rebels still have to agree on the remaining issues, pointing out that the parties agree on 95% of the negotiated deal.
“The aim of this conference is to own the document to Darfur people as we want it to be the base of any future agreement,” he further pinpointed.
The Qatari Prime minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani is expected to attend the closing session of the conference on Tuesday.
Qatar also announced its readiness to host any future talks for the signing of a peace agreement between the Sudanese government and rebel groups.
(ST)