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INTERNATIONAL
CRISIS GROUP: DARFUR'S NEW SECURITY REALITY:
02/12/2007 (MaximsNews Network)
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UNITED NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network /
- 02 December 2007 -- Nairobi/Brussels
- With the Darfur crisis evolving – and deteriorating – rapidly,
the international community must urgently revise its approach to a political
settlement.
Darfur’s
New Security Reality,* the latest report from the International Crisis
Group, examines the changing security situation in the region and the need to
reformulate the peace process, with negotiations that are more inclusive and
address all of the conflict’s root causes.
While
there are fewer deaths now than in 2003-2004, the parties have splintered,
confrontations have multiplied, and violence is again rising. Access for
humanitarian agencies is decreasing, international peacekeeping is not yet
effective, and a political settlement is still far away.
The
peace talks launched in Libya in October 2007 are on hold. To succeed, the
rebel groups must unify and the process must include the full range of
constituencies involved in the crisis, such as women and Arab tribes.
“The
current pause in negotiations should be used to strengthen the pre-requisites
for a sustainable agreement”, says David Mozersky, Crisis Group’s Horn of
Africa Project Director. “Rebel unification efforts must be given time to
succeed, and the process should incorporate broader and more representative
voices from Darfur.”
The
Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), signed in May 2006 by the Government of Sudan
and one rebel faction, is a failure and has contributed to deteriorating
security in the region.
The
National Congress Party (NCP) in Khartoum is pursuing destructive policies
meant to ensure its survival in the 2009 elections, while deliberately
triggering new conflicts in Darfur, leading to a spill-over in neigbouring
Kordofan.
The
rebel signatories – particularly Minni Minawi’s faction (SLA/MM) – have
been responsible for attacks on civilians, humanitarians, and peacekeepers.
The rebel non-signatories have splintered badly, and inter-Arab dissension has
increased, creating a high risk of new Arab insurgencies.
The
international community should take advantage of the delay in the Libya talks
to reformulate the negotiation process and broaden participation. A number of
the core issues that drive the conflict, such as land tenure, grazing rights
and use, and local government's role, were not resolved in the DPA but need to
be part of the new talks.
The
hybrid UN/African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) is unlikely to be
fully operational until well into 2008, so promised aid must be sent to the AU
mission (AMIS) in the interim.
Once
deployed, UNAMID must be more pro-active in protecting civilians and
responding to ceasefire violations. The international community must maintain
focus on rapid UNAMID deployment and provide it with full support, including
tougher political responses to further non-compliance by any party.
“To
date, little has been done to hold the NCP accountable,” says Daniela
Kroslak, Crisis Group’s Africa Research Director. “Failure to respond
appropriately would leave the international community an unwitting accomplice
to the beginnings of Sudan’s next war.”
To
find out more, visit our “Crisis
in Darfur” page, which has links to Crisis
Group’s reports and opinion pieces on the conflict, details of our advocacy
efforts to date, links to other resources, and information on what you can do
to support Crisis Group’s efforts.
Contacts: Andrew
Stroehlein (Brussels) +32 (0) 2 536 00 71
Giulia Previti (Washington) +1 202 785 1601
To contact Crisis Group media please click
here
*Read the full Crisis Group report on: http://www.crisisgroup.org
Labels: United
Nations, U.N., International
Crisis Group, Darfur
Security Reality
~~~~~
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others.
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