Darfur rebels presented with new peace deal

"A package has been put together and presented to the parties, but there are no takers yet," said a senior member of a US-led diplomatic team at Darfur peace talks in Abuja - Reuters Estelle Shirbon reported:

"What we are saying to the (rebels) is, 'Please take it and then we can put pressure on the government'," said the diplomat, requesting anonymity.

He said it was possible the parties would agree to the new peace package at a meeting due to take place at the Nigerian presidential villa but there was no certainty.

The new deadline is midnight (2300 GMT) on Thursday.

A senior AU source said the midnight deadline was likely to slip but only for discussions to continue late into the night.

"The clock will stop at midnight but this is it. There is no extension," he said.

Message is clear now: There is no political way out of the Chida Hotel without a deal

"The gaps between the parties are so wide that only the kind of concerted international pressure we're seeing here has a chance of working," said a Western diplomat who is closely involved in the talks and requested anonymity, Reuters (Estelle Shirbon) reported:

"The message to them is very clear now: There is no political way out of the Chida Hotel without a deal," he said, referring to a small hotel on the outskirts of the Nigerian capital Abuja where the talks are taking place.

Observers say a collapse of the Abuja talks would be disastrous.

"The scenario of failure is very scary. You can be sure that the government would go after these guys (the rebels)," said one Western diplomat, adding that parties who block a deal would likely face U.N. sanctions.

Zoellick's team, along with Britain's International Development Secretary Hilary Benn and a host of European Union and Canadian diplomats, shuttled between government and rebel delegations.

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and Congo Republic Denis Sassou Nguesso, who is also chairman of the AU, were due to meet with the two sides and mediators in the evening to ratchet up pressure for a deal.

A senior AU source said this would take hours and the midnight deadline was likely to slip but only for discussions to continue late into the night.

"The clock will stop at midnight but this is it, there is no extension," he said.

SLM rebels back proposal to end war in Darfur

Sudanese rebels today endorsed a new proposal drafted by the US and Britain to help end the war in Darfur, saying it meets their key demands and could set the stage for a peace accord, says Associated Press report by Michelle Faul May 4, 2006 - excerpt:

Jaffer Monro, spokesman for the largest rebel group, the SLM, told The Associated Press that the US-drafted revisions to an earlier draft made an agreement possible.

"We are going to study them, but the improvements give us the sign that we can agree, that we do not need to renegotiate and that there will be no further delay for the final agreement," he said.

The concessions from the Sudanese government make agreement possible, though the rebels remained concerned about security arrangements, according to the negotiator.

The European Union's executive Commission, which has been closely following the talks in the Nigerian capital, also said Thursday a deal was imminent and announced it would contribute $125 million for a humanitarian and initial recovery package.

Sudan appeared ready Wednesday to agree to faster disarmament of Arab militias in Darfur and to accept more rebels into its security forces, government spokesman Abdulrahman Zuma said.

European Commission Welcomes the Imminent Darfur Peace Deal and Announces Euro 100M Aid Package

The European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, praised today the efforts of negotiating parties in Abuja as the Darfur peace talks are reaching conclusion, and announced a euro 100M package covering humanitarian and immediate recovery needs for the region, PR Newswire reported May 4, 2006 - copy:

"This agreement will be a real progress on the way towards a peaceful and prosperous Sudan and I wish to congratulate the African Union negotiators and the parties for their determination in achieving the agreement which should be signed soon. It will then be our joint challenge to rapidly bring the concrete peace dividends and consolidate peace on the ground," said Mr. Michel.

Since the beginning of the Darfur crisis, the European Commission has provided close to euro 400M in humanitarian aid and support to AMIS (the AU mission in Sudan).

The Commission will continue to meet its responsibilities as a major donor during the post-crisis recovery. Commissioner Michel said: "We are impatient to turn our efforts towards rehabilitation and development of Darfur, with the involvement of all the afflicted populations of the region. We will also maintain our humanitarian effort as long as the vulnerable people need it. In coordination with the international community, we are putting together a euro 100M package covering humanitarian and immediate recovery needs for the region."

Security on the ground remains a major concern as increasing violence in recent weeks has been affecting civilians and humanitarian workers likewise. Commissioner Michel called on the Government of Sudan and rebel movements to respect their commitments and ensure the safety of the population. He also stressed the importance of ensuring immediate, safe and full access for humanitarian workers to bring aid to those in need. He urged all parties to collaborate on the smooth transition from AMIS to the UN peace-keeping mission.

The current AMIS mandate expires on 30 September. The UN forces will then take over from the AU mission. In the meantime, the Commission continues to provide support to AMIS.

SOURCE Delegation of the European Commission to the U.S. Web Site: http://www.eurunion.org/ EUROPA

[via Coalition for Darfur with thanks]



Photo: Alpha Oumar Konare, Javier Solana and Louis Michel address a joint news conference after discussing the situation in Sudan, in Brussels March 8, 2006. (Reuters) via Sudan Tribune (Sudan Watch archive)

Negotiator: Darfur rebels may be ready for deal - Proposal calls for thousands militants to join Sudanese security forces

Good news. Just in from Associated Press - excerpt:

A proposal drafted by the US and Britain to help end the war in Darfur meets key rebel demands and could set the stage for a peace accord, a rebel negotiator said Thursday.

The negotiator, speaking on condition of anonymity because the parties involved had been asked not to reveal details of the proposal, said it called for thousands of rebels to be integrated into Sudanese security forces.

Sudanese government officials were not immediately available for comment.

The negotiator said the draft called for a minimum of 4,000 rebels to be integrated into Sudan's armed forces and another 1,000 in the police force. In addition, 3,000 rebels would be given training and education to prepare them for civilian life.

The negotiator said the concessions from the Sudanese government make agreement possible, though the rebels remained concerned about security arrangements.

Negotiations went late into the night Wednesday, as Zoellick met with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, a key figure in peacemaking efforts across Africa.

African leaders including Obasanjo and Denis Sassou-Nguesso - president of the Republic of Congo and current head of the 53-nation African Union - scheduled a meeting with AU mediators six hours before the deadline to make a final push for an agreement. Following that, African presidents were to meet with the warring parties.

US credited Khartoum with taking significant steps to cooperate in the global war on terror

Sudanese government spokesman Abdulrahman Zuma said Wednesday his government was considering agreeing to faster disarmament of Arab militias in Darfur and accepting more rebels into its security forces, key concessions included in a revised peace agreement drafted with the help of Zoellick and Benn, the Associated Press reported today - excerpt:

"Through this so-called American initiative, it seems that the government is going to make some concessions, especially about reintegration and disarmament," Zuma told the Associated Press.

While the rebels may embrace the United States as an alternative to the African Union, the U.S. relationship with Khartoum is complicated.

On Friday, Washington counted Sudan among six state sponsors of terror, even while it credited Khartoum with taking significant steps to cooperate in the global war on terror.

The U.N. Security Council a year ago authorized seizure of assets and a travel ban on individuals defying peace efforts or violating human rights law in Darfur. Those sanctions were imposed for the first time last week against a commander of the Sudanese air force, a Janjaweed militia leader and two rebel commanders.

US pushes for Darfur deal before third deadline

Reuters report by Estelle Shirbon - just in, this afternoon - excerpts:

The Sudanese government and Darfur rebels face a third deadline to make peace today.

Zoellick's team, along with Britain's International Development Secretary Hilary Benn, and a host of European Union and Canadian diplomats, shuttled between the government and the rebels in a small hotel on the outskirts of the Nigerian capital.

No details filtered out on what exactly the government may have agreed to give.

It is unclear whether the rebels could be persuaded to sign. They are split into two movements and three factions with complex internal politics and a history of infighting, making it hard for them to agree on any major decision. So far, they have insisted they were dissatisfied with many aspects of the draft.

The diplomats were due to present the results of the discussions to AU mediators who would then meet Nigerian Olusegun Obasanjo. He is trying to increase pressure on the parties, along with other African heads of state who are in Abuja for a separate conference.

"There is an astonishing alignment of international pressure and there is a whole array of U.N. sanctions that can be used against people who block a deal so everyone knows there are consequences for not signing," said a Western diplomat, who is closely involved in the talks and requested anonymity.

"But there are a lot of internal divisions in the rebel movement and they are just not structured to make decisions ... it could really go either way," he added.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights visits Darfur

"The situation (in Darfur) is poor, bad and very alarming and what is particularly sad is to see no progress and a deterioration of the situation," Louise Arbour, U.N. high commissioner for human rights, told Reuters in Khartoum.

"I am absolutely persuaded that the sexual violence against women ... is worsening every day," she said after a two-day visit to Darfur this week.

Diplomats called disgruntled members of the Darfur rebel factions who are based in Chad on Thursday to try and stop them from undermining a possible deal in Abuja, said a Western diplomat.

(additional reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian in Nairobi and Kamilo Tafeng in Khartoum)
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Aid work cannot be sustained under attack

May 4 2006 IRIN report Clock ticks on third Darfur peace deadline in a week:

In an interview with Reuters news agency, Egeland said a failure to secure a peace deal in Abuja could jeopardise humanitarian operations in Darfur.

"If there is no agreement in Abuja, it could get much worse," said Egeland, "and we are unarmed humanitarian workers, so we cannot sustain it if we are attacked."

See May 4 2006 Opinion piece by Jan Egeland in the Wall Street Journal Darfur: Killing Fields

Careless talk costs lives: This week of all weeks, please be careful what you say about Darfur, Sudan

Daniel Davies' insightful opinion piece at the Guardian's Comments is free, reminds us all that careless talk costs lives:

This week of all weeks, please be careful what you write about the situation in Darfur, the Government of Sudan and Darfur rebels.

Darfur peace talks over the coming hours and days could make or break the region, affecting the lives of millions of refugees throughout Sudan and neighbouring countries Chad, CAR. Uganda, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea.
- - -



Photo: Actor George Clooney, who has recently returned from visiting refugee camps in Darfur with his father, called the situation in Darfur "the first genocide of the 21st century". (BBC pictures online)

[Note, The International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur, chaired by the Italian judge Antonio Cassese, concluded in its report published on 31 January 2005 that crimes against humanity and war crimes such as killings, rape, pillaging and forced displacement have been committed since 1 July 2002 by the government-backed forces and the Janjaweed militia. It declared, however, that the government of Sudan was not pursuing a policy of genocide in Darfur.

See Apr 9 2006 Juan Mendez, UN Special Adviser on Prevention of Genocide, tells press "definitely ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur"]

Stark warning at the Darfur talks: Serious danger of major regional war unfolding - Alex de Waal

"If this deal is not signed this week there is a very, very serious danger of a major regional war unfolding which would make the situation in Darfur probably insoluble," AU adviser Alex de Waal told the BBC's World Today programme, May 3, 2006:

Mr de Waal said the situation on the ground in Darfur was deteriorating and becoming more complicated.

In public, some of the rebels are holding out for a regional Darfur government.

But the BBC's World Affairs correspondent Mark Doyle says Khartoum sees this as the thin end of a dangerous trend and is resisting.

In the southern peace deal, SPLM rebels gained control of some ministries in Khartoum and a share of Sudan's oil wealth.

EU urges Darfur rebels to agree truce or face sanctions

The European Union said it welcomed the draft peace deal for Dafur and urged the rebels to reach a final agreement with the Sudanese Government or face travel bans to UN member countries and a freeze on assets held in those states, Reuters Estelle Shirbon reported May 3, 2006 - excerpt:

"Failing to do so would be irresponsible in the light of the immense human suffering of the people in Darfur, and any party standing in the way of an agreement would have to face the consequences outlined in the UN Security Council Resolution 1591," a statement from current EU president Austria said.

Mediators have started the grim task of planning for defeat

Canadian Press report May 3, 2006 excerpt:

A Canadian government source close to the talks said the American and British delegations are now effectively steering the talks and have "streamlined'' the negotiations.

They included only a handful of advisers from Canada and the African Union, leaving representatives from various European and African nations on the outside.

"The U.K. and U.S. decided working with the large community of nations was too cumbersome at this stage and the African Union approach had been exhausted,'' said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "If this (new) strategy succeeds, it could break the logjam.''

The current U.S.-British strategy is to split up the rebel concerns between them, and come up with amendments to the peace deal the rebels might accept. They've seen progress on the issue of security, but are still stuck on power-sharing within the Sudanese government.

And so, negotiators have started the grim task of planning for defeat, the senior source said.

That Plan B would include a ceasefire, safe access to the country for humanitarian workers, and protection for camps of displaced persons.

"If they don't agree, the results will be nothing short of catastrophic,'' said the Canadian source.

US proposals for Darfur peace not enough: rebels

US proposals to save the Darfur peace talks do not go far enough Sudan Tribune reported May 3. Excerpt:

A spokesman for the SLA Seif Haroun said that unless the peace deal included a proposal to turn the devastated western Sudanese region of Darfur into a unitary administrative unit - it is currently divided into three states - it would fail.

"The US government’s initiative is a good step forward for negotiations. We are happy about it, but it still falls short of our expectations because it has left out our crucial demand for a Darfur region," he said.

"The Darfur region issue is the main issue in our demand. The issue of region is not something we are going to negotiate away because that is where our key interest is," he said.

Under the African Union plan, the people of Darfur would be allowed to hold a referendum on coming together as one autonomous region once fighting has halted and national elections are held, perhaps in several years’ time.

Sudan’s government has already accepted the AU peace plan and has made positive noises about the US version. A second rebel group, the JEM, has yet to make its position clear.

Reuters report by Estelle Shirbon May 3, 2006 tells us senior Sudanese diplomat said the U.S. ideas were "interesting" but Khartoum would only agree on measures it considered "workable and cost-effective". He said he was optimistic that a deal would be reached.

Sudan may make concessions on Darfur peace deal

Sudanese government spokesman Abdulrahman Zuma told Associated Press May 3, "Through this so-called American initiative, it seems that the government is going to make some concessions, especially about reintegration and disarmament."

AU, UK, US prepare new Darfur peace proposal

AU mediators joined by senior US and British officials are preparing a substantially changed Darfur peace proposal after rebels rejected the original draft, said two Sudanese close to the negotiations who saw the new document Wednesday.

The two Sudanese, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the new proposal was not yet official, said it was aimed at meeting rebel demands for a greater share of power and wealth.

Full report AP/ST May 3, 2006.

Note, the report says that earlier, Jaffer Monro, spokesman for SLM, said if the initial proposal was not significantly changed, the rebels would press for the UN or another body to take over the peace talks from the AU. [This is what the rebels have wanted all along over the past two years - they are anti AU troops and mediators]



Photo: US Deputy Secretary of State, Robert B. Zoellick, center, and US Charge d'Affaires in Khartoum, Cameron Hume, left, meet with leaders of the JEM, one of the Darfur rebel factions, at Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria Tuesday, May 2, 2006. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

When asked late Tuesday what would happen if there is no agreement by Thursday, chief AU mediator Salim Ahmed Salim said: "There will be continued killing, continued suffering, and all the destruction that has been going on."



Photo: UK Minister Hilary Benn speaks in Khartoum after a visit to Darfur, February 2006. (AFP/Salah Omar)

Sudanese tribal leaders at Darfur peace talks, Abuja

Photo: Sudanese tribal leaders attend the Darfur talks at the venue of the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria,Tuesday, May 2, 2006. (AP/ST)



Photo: Sudanese tribal leaders (from L to R) Ibrahim Abdalla Mohamed, Saeed Mahmoud Madibo, Mostafa Omer Ahmed, Ahmed Alsamani and Mohamed Adam Rijal wait to participate in a meeting with rebel groups during negotiations on a peace plan for Darfur in Abuja, Nigeria May 2, 2006. The government of Sudan has accepted an 85-page draft settlement but three Darfur rebel factions refused to sign, saying they were unhappy with the proposals on security, power-sharing and wealth-sharing. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde

First batch of Sudanese refugees back home from Uganda

The first convoy of 160 Sudanese refugees in Uganda repatriating to South Sudan left Tuesday from the northern district of Moyo to Kadjo Keji, some 30 kilometres north of the Ugandan border, Sudan Tribune reported May 3, 2006.



Photo: A Sudanese refugee woman waits to embark in a bus in Kakuma refugee camp in northwest Kenya December 17, 2005 to return into south Sudan.

Sudan's SLA rebel attacks on aid workers in North Darfur breaks international humanitarian law

Jan Pronk, UN SGSR in Sudan, called on Darfur rebel group SLA to stop attacks on aid workers in Darfur.

Over the past few weeks, aid workers have come under continuous attacks and harassment by armed groups in the Shangil Tobayi, Tawilla and Kutum areas of North Darfur, with several reports indicating that SLA factions were behind the attacks:

"Armed robbery and hijacking have endangered humanitarian workers assisting over 450,000 vulnerable people living in the area," Pronk said in a statement. "Moreover, credible information points to the use of hijacked vehicles for military purposes by these armed groups. This is unacceptable and contrary to international humanitarian law."

Full report (IRIN) Government offensive raises fears of attack on Darfur's Gereida May 2, 2006.

Darfur peace talks extended for second time

A new deadline of 48 hours has now been set. It expires on Thursday night.

The original deadline for signing the deal expired on Sunday, prompting a new extension - till Tuesday - and a flurry of diplomatic activity.



Photo: US Deputy Secretary of State Robert B Zoellick, 3rd from left, and US Charge d'Affaires in Khartoum Cameron Hume, 2nd from left, meet with leaders of Darfur rebel factions at Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria Tuesday, May 2, 2006. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Meanwhile, AU mediator Salim Ahmed Salim urged the black African rebels "to show leadership and make the compromises necessary for peace, for the sake of the people of Darfur".



Photo: SLA commander at Darfur peace talks in Abuja May, 2006 (AP/BBC)

Reuters news agency quoted a diplomat involved in the mediation as saying that the rebels would be discredited if they reject the deal.

The BBC's Alex Last in Abuja says mediators hope that the proposed deal can be amended to increase the number of rebels integrated into the army, while dropping the provision that the Janjaweed disarm before the rebels.

The government is unhappy at this provision, even though it has signed the deal.

But the rebels are also said to be unhappy about arrangements concerning power-sharing and wealth distribution in the vast desert region. They are also reportedly concerned that the peace deal may not be properly implemented.

"The extension of the deadline does not have any meaning for us," said Saifaldin Haroun, spokesman of the main SLM faction, according to the AFP news agency.

"The AU peace proposal does not address our crucial concerns."



Photo: Darfur rebels in western Sudan (AP/BBC)

UN's Egeland to visit Sudan Saturday to meet senior officials and visit Darfur.

Bush tells Bashir to accept UN force backed by NATO

AP report says US President GW Bush called Sudanese President el-Bashir on Monday night about the importance of peace in Darfur, according to the official Sudan Press Agency and Frederick Jones, a spokesman for Bush's National Security Council - excerpt:

During the call, Bush urged al-Bashir to send his Vice President Ali Osman Mohammed Taha, who left Abuja Monday, back to the peace talks, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said. The president told al-Bashir to accept a U.N. peacekeeping mission backed by NATO logistics and training for Darfur.

Bush phones Bashir to send Taha back to Darfur peace talks

President George W Bush telephoned Sudanese President Umar Hasan al-Bashir to urge him to commit to reaching a peace accord with rebel groups in Darfur, as Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick met with all sides in Nigeria in a bid to keep the talks alive, Bloomberg reported today. Excerpt:

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told reporters today that in the call, Bush told Bashir he sent Zoellick to foster a breakthrough, and asked the Sudanese leader to send his vice president, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, back to the negotiations as a signal of Sudan's desire to end the fighting.

"We will be looking for the government of Sudan to follow through on what the president brought up in the call," McClellan said.

Note, the report says AU mediator Sam Ibok was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that a further two-day extension of the talks was under consideration.