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Darfur: UN envoy hopes all rebel leaders will participate in peace talks |
| Theallineed.com |
The Security Council has authorized the creation of a hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping force, to be known as UNAMID, to try to quell the violence.
The lead-up to the talks in Sirte, which are being co-convened by Mr. Eliasson and his AU counterpart, Salim Ahmed Salim, have been complicated by the proliferation of rebel movements as many of the existing groups, including the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), splinter into smaller factions.
Speaking today by videoconference from Asmara, Eritrea, where he has been meeting with senior Government officials to discuss preparations for the negotiations, Mr. Eliasson said there is "very little hope" that rebel leader Abdul Wahid el-Nur will attend, while Khalil Ibrahim of the JEM has also asked for the talks to be delayed. But he said he was still hopeful that other rebel leaders would join the Sirte talks later.
 | | Jan Eliasson (<) |
Mr. Eliasson said obtaining a formal cessation of hostilities would be a priority of the talks, while arrangements for the return of displaced people can also be given immediate attention. He expects the initial discussions in Sirte will focus on issues of security and wealth-sharing.
After hearing a closed-door briefing from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Sirte talks, the Security Council issued a presidential statement calling on all parties to engage fully and constructively in the talks and to first agree to a cessation of hostilities.
"The Council underlines its willingness to take action against any party that seeks to undermine the peace process, including by failing to respect such a cessation of hostilities or by impeding the talks, peacekeeping or humanitarian aid," the statement noted.
It added that the 15-member body was deeply concerned about delays in the deployment of UNAMID, and urged Member States to make available the aviation and ground transport units still required for the mission.
The Special Envoy said the preparations for the talks had been adversely affected by the recent spike in violence in Darfur, particularly the deadly attack last month against AU peacekeepers in the town of Haskanita.
Frustration is growing in the camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), he said, with many residents having spent four years there and some younger IDPs becoming increasingly radicalized. Violence in the camps is rising and arms are starting to flow in.
The strained relationship in the National Unity Government, formed in the wake of the end of the separate north-south civil war in Sudan, was also adding to the difficulties, Mr. Eliasson said.
In his latest report on the implementation of the January 2005 comprehensive peace agreement that ended that war, Mr. Ban says recent events underline the fragility of the pact and the failure to implement some of its key provisions.
Earlier this month, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) – the former southern rebel group – suspended its participation in the Government, although it is now holding talks with the National Congress Party on how to resolve their impasse.
Mr. Ban urges all sides to implement their commitments under the agreement, calling on the leaders to show political courage.
"While the conflict in Darfur undoubtedly had consequences for the rest of the country, we must not lose sight of the fact that the comprehensive peace agreement remains critical to long-lasting peace throughout the Sudan," the Secretary-General writes.
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