Sudan declines to comment on US rejection of Darfur referendum
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April 3, 2011 (Khartoum) – Sudanese presidential adviser Ghazi Salah
Al-Deen who is tasked with Darfur file, declined today to react to the
US rejection of a referendum over the administrative status in the
region announced last March.
JPEG - 14.9 kb
Presidnetial adviser Gahzi salah Al-Deen
US Senior Adviser for Darfur, Dane Smith, disapproved Khartoum’s plans
to hold a referendum in the restive region aiming to ask Darfurians to
decide whether they approve or not the establishment of a regional
authority to administrate the whole region. The American diplomat said
such issue should be discussed at the negotiating table in Doha.
The government resorted to this procedure, at the beginning of March,
as its delegation in Doha refuses to accept the establishment of a
regional authority in Darfur — creating a new echelon of power to
supervise Darfur states and represent the region at the national
level.
President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir in his presidential decree on March 29
related to the organization of the referendum omitted to determine the
date of the referendum. Legal experts says the government has to
announce the referendum six months before its organization and to
perform it three months after the beginning of the voter registration.
Asked after a meeting of the National Congress Party (NCP) political
sector Sunday on Darfur held in the party’s premises, Ghazi refused to
comment on the remarks made by the US envoy for Darfur.
"I do not want to respond to him now," Ghazi told reporters when he
was asked about Dan’s statements.
The presidential adviser went to say that Darfur Joint Chief Mediator,
Djibril Bassole did not yet finalize the final peace agreement
stressing "in the absence of a new document abrogating the old
document (Abuja agreement) we are committed to the documents that we
signed in the past".
The government says the referendum is stipulated in Darfur Peace
Agreement signed in May 2006 with the rebel Minni Minnawi who
denounced this pact accusing Khartoum of failing to implement some
protocols related to the security arrangements and the regional
authority.
Despite Ghazi statements, Sudanese Vice president, Ali Osman Taha,
renewed today the commitment of his government to negotiate a peaceful
solution to the eight conflict in Darfur with the rebel groups in
Doha.
Taha made these reassurances during a meeting with the visiting
Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development,
Dirk Niebel, according to the official Suna.
He echoed Bashir’s commitments to the Doha process during a visit to
discuss the peace process with Qatari Emir last week. Bashir during
his visit, conducted without Ghazi’ presence among the accompanying
delegation, reaffirmed his commitment to the talks with the rebels
without referring to the referendum decree he signed two days before.
The presidential adviser since he is charged with the complex file of
Darfur seemed privileging other options than talks with the rebels to
bring peace in the region. Last July he put out a new strategy to
bring peace in Darfur through direct dialogue between tribal leaders
and civil society organizations.
The former US envoy for Sudan Scott Gration, who had tumultuous
relations with the rebel groups, also encouraged Ghazi in his new
approach.
Rebel groups say every time they make some progress in Doha Ghazi come
out with something disturbing the process.
Last December, he decided to withdraw government’s delegation from
Doha where the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) resumed
negotiations after five months of boycott. But, President Bashir
directed the return of the negotiating team last February.
(ST)
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