Feature

United Front for Darfur Peace Talks?

People in Darfur are the only ones able to talk about the present situation not the people in the central government. (Photo by Reuters)

The sides taking part in the negotiations include international and local communities, the host — Libya, the three Darfur states (North, South, and West Darfur), civil society organizations, local civil administrations, political parties that are already a part of the Government of National Unity (GNU), movements that have signed the Abuja Agreements, opposition parties, and Darfur tribal leaders.

The legislative council of the government of North Darfur has issued an initiative for the governments of each of West and South Darfur under the name of "Common Vision to the People of Darfur Residing in the Region for Sirte Negotiations." In it, a joint committee of the three states of Darfur begins to define the common visions of the people of Darfur about the demands that would achieve a comprehensive peace in the troubled region.

What to Do?

"The central government has to involve the original members of the conflict, the people in Darfur, to take part in the negotiations in the coming talks in Sirte, Libya, since they are more efficient than the  people in the central government in talking about the present situation in Darfur," says Ali Adam Othman, deputy president of the National Congress in the state of South Darfur.

Othman also referred in the media platform that the Media Secretary of the National Congress in South Darfur state has organized on the common vision between the national conference and the Sudan's Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) Minnawi's front, that the sharing of authority and wealth must be based on what has been agreed upon in Abuja. Declaring that as a ruling party the SLM/A has no objections toward increasing the membership of legislative councils from 71 to 120 members, in addition to the increase in the number of states and localities in order for peace to prevail.

However, Othman said that they refuse the concept of self-determination that some commanders of the movements refusing Abuja agreements are asking for, in addition to the system of central government. But he agrees upon the principle of good governance that is based upon citizenship and denouncing racism.

To Join or Not

He also said that he is afraid that with the absence of Dr. Khalil Ibrahim, the leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), and Dr. Abdul Wahid Nur, leader of rebel group Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), from the peace talks while other movements joining the talks are united, the problem will prevail in Darfur and the situation will get worse, which may lead to the emergence of even more movements.

Another source, preferring not to disclose his name, said that Abdul Wahid Nur is not going to the Sirte negotiations because he has a negative stand against Libya itself. Nur believes that Libya is the one who funded the Haskanita Conference by the leadership of Minnawi in which Nur was excluded from the leadership of the movement.

However, his refusal to join the talks were met with different reactions. The internally displaced persons (IDP) see Nur as the only one delegated and trusted by them; that is why he has the right and authority to talk on their behalf and demand their rights from those who where behind their displacement. While the parties that are joining the peace talks represent only their own views.

Others find that Ibrahim and Nur refraining from joining the conference is an illogical act; they also ask the international community to take measures against these two since the situation in the territory is bad enough.

There is also different views among the people of Darfur themselves. In which some of them realize the importance of negotiations inside Darfur because of the sensitivity of the issue with the presence of all sides of the conflict within Darfur and the IDPs, while others support holding the talks in Libya because of its increased role in Darfur and its containment of some movements' leaders since the triggering of the crisis. Libya also has a role in supporting the movements with vehicles and other means.
 
Othman also underlined the ability of Libya to make the talks succeed, saying that Al-Qaddafi is the only one in Africa that is able to exercise pressure on Nur and Ibrahim.

While Akbar Abu Toum, head of the Democratic Unionist Party in South Darfur state, said that there has to be concessions from both sides of the conflict, in which the IDPs be returned to their places and get compensated individually and collectively, arms be collected, and the country's hegemony extended by providing developmental projects that include all the aspirations of the state. The negotiators also have to include the importance of providing the elements of agricultural production, developmental projects, and security for the IDPs in their agendas so that they would be able to return to their homes.

For a United Front

To make the coming talks succeed, leader of SLM Minni Arkou Minnawi, who signed the Abuja agreement, has conducted a series of meetings and talks with the area leaders of the movements refusing Abuja Agreements in order to unify their visions around the Sirte peace talks.

In that context Al-Tayib Khamis, speaker of the SLM, told the journalists that the movement leader has reached understandings with the area leaders to join the negotiations.

Khamis also referred to the fact that Minnawi has headed to the area of Dar Al Salam. to start the talks with the area leaders of the movement in addition to assigning a commission to push the efforts leading to the implementation of Abuja Agreements. Khamis also mentioned that Minnawi is still continuing his meetings with the tribal leaders and the area leaders to come up with a common negotiating position.

Mohamed Haroun Hud, Deputy Head of the Legislative Council in South Darfur, said that Darfur depends on the coming Sirte talks, but the violations from the government and especially what took place lately in Haskanita and Muhajiriya, send negative signals that could affect the current arrangements in Sirte, especially that opponents to Abuja Agreements will evaluate all these violations.

Hud called for considering Abuja Agreements a starting point for Sirte talks, he also said that the tribes participation in the negotiations has to be effective. However, in the context of tribal involvement, the people of Darfur refuse joining the talks based on race and color, asking the central government and the international community neither to adopt such stance nor to conduct negotiations based on such criteria, but to be based on demanding the political rights in the scope of law and international texts that found nationalism and denounce racism.

On the other hand, the IDPs stressed the necessity of their representation in the Sirte talks. In the same vein, a group of them refused any agreement on the individual level explaining that it would harm them, since it would not satisfy all their demands and would lead to the emergence of new movements, which may well further add to the problems in the region. They also asked the government to have patience and be open minded until all the movements concerned enter the negotiations with a common vision, unlike other agreements that were signed by single groups. The IDPs prefer to present their demands in the presence of all government parties, movements, and the international community.

In order to unite the vision of all parties participating in the talks, each of the parties agreeing on the Abuja Agreements together have been engaged in several talks and meetings. On the other hand, the parties who do not accept Abuja agreements have been engaged in talks and meetings too but with the leadership of the government of South Sudan.

Abdel Rahman Ibrahim is a journalist based in Niyala south Darfur and is the correspondent of El Raay El Aam newspaper.