Sudan agrees to appoint a vice-president from Darfur – top negotiator
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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.
JPEG - 40.8 kb
Meeting on Women’s participation on the implementation of future peace
deals, on the fourth day of the All Darfur Stakeholders Conference in
Doha, Qatar on 30 May 2011 (UNAMID - Olivier Chassot)
The Qatari capital witnessed Monday a huge gathering for over 500
delegates from the Darfur region including civil society, tribal
leaders and local institutions. Representatives of internally
displaced people (IDPs) supporting both government and rebel groups
were also present.
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)
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