Sudan: Darfur Peace Talks and Argument Over Doha Peace Document
By Mohamed Osman Adam
28 November 2014
Addis Ababa - Delegates from the government of Sudan and two Darfuri armed
rebel movements, the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan Liberation
Movement/SLA faction, are still at loggerhead seven days after arrival in
Addis Ababa, over whether to reopen a peace document, signed in the Qatari
capital Doha in 2011, and start peace talks afresh or re-build upon that
sealed deal and move ahead.
The Darfur conflict erupted in western Sudan region of Darfur, near the
borders with Chad, almost a decade ago, disrupting development and affecting
sizable portion of the rural population there. Two rebel groups spearheaded
the mutiny: the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality
Movement (JEM). But since 2003, these two movements have suffered from
fragmentations into dozens of splinter groups. These breakups have impacted
not only in prolongation of the strife, but equally, made it difficult to
negotiate and reach a conclusive and lasting settlement with the central
government, hence the multiplicity of negotiation fora.
The two sides flew in Addis Ababa, November 22 at the invitation of the
neutral African Union High level Implementation Panel of the African Union
(AUHIP), to mainly discuss "a ceasefire" agreement that will pave the way
for a political settlement. This political settlement is envisaged to be
within the context of the National Dialogue Initiative (ND), an
internationally recognized initiative by President Omar al Bashir early this
year, seeking to address the root causes of, and reach a universal solution
for discontents within the country.
Dr Amin Hassan Omar, led a powerful government delegation, while Dr Jibril
Ibrahim, brother of the late Dr Khalil Ibrahim, spearheads JEM delegation,
likewise, Meni Arko Minawi, former Presidential Assistant, heads the SLM/SLA
delegation.
The Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) which the government delegation
considers the reference for all issues related to Darfur was finalized at
the All Darfur Stakeholders Conference in May 2011, in Doha, Qatar. The
detail-rich document of over 100 pages lies in seven chapters, final
provisions and the implementation timetable. It covers Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms, Power-Sharing and the Administrative Status of Darfur,
Wealth Sharing, Compensation and the Return of IDPs and Refugees, Justice
and Reconciliation, Permanent Ceasefire and Final Security Arrangements,
Internal Dialogue and Consultation & Implementation Modalities, Final
Provisions and Implementation Timetable.
It leaves no stone unturned and as such drew wide regional and international
recognition. The DDPD is the culmination of two and half years of
negotiations, dialogue and consultations with the major parties to the
Darfur conflict, all relevant stakeholders and international partners. In
fact it was initiated, brokered and mediated by the UN, the AU, and the Arab
league and was hosted by the State of Qatar.
The African Union United Nations Hybrid peace keeping mission in Darfur
(UNAMID) says the DDPD "is now the framework for the comprehensive peace
process in Darfur."
At the opening session of the current talks, each side delivered a
statement: the government saying the DDPD should remain the framework for
the process and that the delegates were here, as the invitation of the AUHIP
states, to discuss a cessation of hostilities that will immediately lead to
a comprehensive ceasefire, which ultimately leads to a political settlement
within the said initiative of President Al Bashir.
The two rebel groups are adamant that they wanted to initiate a new process
in which the DDPD will have no place. In fact the SLA leader argued that it
was "failed" document, notwithstanding that development projects,
rehabilitation programmes are currently being implemented in Darfur based on
that same Doha agreement.
The rebel also argued that they were not part of the DDPD. To which Dr Amin,
head of the government, argued that the two movements were involved in the
process and in the finalization of the document. In the all stakeholders
meeting, he argued, SLA was represented by the current deputy head of the
delegation. In fact Mr. Mini himself was part and parcel of the government
at the time. He was the Assistant of the President of the Republic, the
fourth man in the power hierarchy in the Sudan at the time.
In Feb. 26, 2010, Mini held a press conference, according to Al Shrook TV
network, praising the deal and saying a framework agreement signed between
the government of the Sudan and the Justice and Equality Movement in the
Qatari capital Doha, was "supportive of the Abuja peace deal". The JEM
-government of Sudan framework agreement was of course based on the DDPD.
Similarly, Mini, took part in the all donors conference, held in Cairo,
Egypt, shortly after the deal was sealed, and which raised a whooping 850
million dollars, for Darfur development projects and programmes. It was
within the Doha peace agreement. The Qataris also promised to provide 2
billion dollars for establishing a development bank for Darfur, always
within the DDPD context.
Mini was quoted in an interview with the Qatari based Al Raya (Arabic for
the Banner) daily as saying that the DDPD "sets the lead for a final and a
comprehensive agreement, because as a framework agreement it paves the way
for reaching a comprehensive settlement for the Darfur question".
Thus both JEM and SLA, the head of the government delegation argues, are
"part and parcel of the DDPD", therefore it would be a debasing for the
international and regional communities that brokered the DDPD, to pick the
document with tongs and throw it in the trash pin.
The African Union panel, thus, continues shuttling between the two sides
trying to find a common ground, agreed upon, so that the technicalities will
be overcome and the two sides sit down for business like negotiations.