Washington invites Sudanese parties to meet on Darfur conflict in September
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August 11, 2011 (LONDON) --- U.S. Senior Advisor for Darfur Dane Smith
today discussed with the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)
ways to energize efforts for peace in Darfur and proposed to hold a
Darfur Forum in Washington next September.
JPEG - 18.2 kb
U.S. Senior Advisor Dane Smith during a visit to Darfur on 21 March
2011 (US State Department)
The US administration started a series of contacts with the Sudanese
parties and international partners to consider the way forward after
the signing of a peace agreement between the Sudanese government and
the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) on 14 July.
Princeton Lymann, US special envoy for Sudan and the Senior Adviser
for Darfur Dane Smith during the stakeholders conference held in the
Qatari capital last May supported the Doha framework document as a
basis for peace in Darfur but asked more talks between the Sudanese
government and JEM.
However their efforts for a comprehensive and inclusive peace were
rejected by Khartoum which pressed for the signing of a peace
agreement with the LJM. Khartoum and JEM failed to resume talks as
they came out with two different perceptions of the framework
document. The former considers it as untouchable and the latter asks
to open all the document for talks .
Smith met on Thursday in London a delegation led by JEM Legislative
Council Speaker Tahir El-Faki to discuss the perspectives of peace in
Darfur. He also suggested them to participate in Dafur Forum that his
administration intends to hold in Washington next September.
The US diplomat said that Washington has no initiative but wants to
gather the parties to the conflict to consider what is the next step.
The government, JEM, and the two factions of the rebel Sudan
Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid Al-Nur and Minni Minnawi will
be invited to the gathering.
Also, the State of Qatar which chairs the follow-up committee for
peace in Darfur, the Ad Interim Mediator Ibrahim Gambari, and Burkina
Faso’s foreign minister and former Joint Chief Mediator will be there
besides other international partners.
Since the signing of Doha peace agreement between Sudan and LJM, the
government delegation returned to Khartoum after announcing that JEM
has three months to join the deal. Sudanese officials also stated that
they can only discuss with JEM their political participation in the
national and regional institutions and the security arrangements
including the fate of its combatants.
The remaining members of JEM delegation will depart Doha on Saturday
14 August. Gambari told them last Saturday that Khartoum refuses their
demand to open the document for discussions.
"Dane Smith praised JEM’s keenness to achieve peace in Darfur and
keeping its delegation for a month after the signing of a peace deal
between Khartoum and LJM," said Gibreel Adam Bilal, JEM spokesperson
in a statement released today.
Referring to the recent developments in Sudan particularly the
alliance between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N)
and Darfur rebels, Smith said the US support such efforts but only
when it means to achieve peace not to wage war.
Darfur rebels and the SPLM-N said they are negotiating an alliance to
overthrow the government by all means. However, the Ethiopian prime
minister Meles Zenawi is mediating between the government and SPLM-N
on how the two parties can resume talks over Southern Kordofan
conflict.
Darfur follow-up committee which includes the US and the other
permanent members of the UN Security Council is expected to meet also
in September in Doha to discuss the implantation of Doha peace
agreement and the next step towards the other rebel groups.
The void created by the absence of a designated mediator after the
resignation of Djibril Bassole presses the international community to
keep up their efforts for peace in Western Sudan. The continuation of
the current tension in Darfur might be the prelude for a new cycle of
violence there and the deterioration of the fragile humanitarian
situation.
Smith met on Wednesday in Geneva with aid groups and organizations to
discuss "how to support international efforts aimed at creating
sustainable opportunities to improve the livelihoods of the Darfuri
people while decreasing dependence on humanitarian assistance," said
Mark C. Toner a spokesperson of the State Department.
Further, he met delegations at the UN Human Rights Council to discuss
the renewal of the mandate of the independent expert.
(ST)
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