Situation at Darfur peace talks in Abuja "still evolving"

May 6 2006 US Department of State report -- The situation at the Darfur peace talks now under way in Abuja, Nigeria, is "still evolving," but the United States hopes that this will be a "good and hopeful day" for the people of Sudan and Darfur, says U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. Excerpt:

McCormack again cautioned reporters that even if an agreement is reached on paper, there will be a need to implement that agreement, and "that," he stressed, "is going to require as much if not more work on the part of the parties involved and the international community."

"We will be right there," he pledged, "to see that it is implemented, but first we have to get signatures on a piece of paper -- and, at this point, I am not aware that we have that quite yet."

Asked what happens if only one party signs on to the accord, McCormack said: "You continue to move forward. ... If that is in fact the case, you continue working the political process.

"There is no substitute," he stressed, "for a political accommodation -- a political settlement -- in order to ultimately solve the grave humanitarian and security issues that exist there. ... Ultimately, you are not going to solve the issues in Darfur absent that political agreement."

Asked if the P5 (the five permanent representative countries on the U.N. Security Council -- the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia) might be consulted on the issue, McCormack said, "It could very well come up" with regard to the P5, but he said he did not expect the Quartet to take up the issue.

He told reporters that the British government has suggested a possible meeting on Darfur at the United Nations in New York, which he termed a "very interesting idea."

McCormack added, however, that the current U.S. emphasis is on the Abuja talks and "making those work and doing what we can to see that they move forward."

International mediators making efforts to include Darfur rebel factions SLM and JEM in peace deal

Despite massive pressure from international mediators, only the Sudanese government and the main faction of one of the rebel groups - the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) - agreed to sign the deal, Sudan Tribune reported May 5, 2006. Excerpt:

Another SLM faction and the second rebel group - Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) - refused to sign it, but Zoellick said mediators were making efforts to make them change their position.

US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick on Friday said international mediators were trying to get the Abdulwahid al-Nur-led SLM faction to change its hardline position.

"You need to look at the proportions that are represented by the groups. You have the group that has the most significant forces on the ground, Minni Minawi group," he said.

"We are getting contacts with Abdulwahid al-Nur and his people saying they don't want to be left out," he assured.

He said the AU Peace and Security Council would meet on May 15.

- - -

May 5, 2006 BBC report Who are Sudan's Darfur rebels? - excerpt:

The two groups fighting in Sudan's Darfur region - the Justice for Equality Movement (Jem) and the larger Sudan Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/M) - have very different ideological backgrounds.

SLA Secretary-General Minni Arkou Minnawi published a political declaration calling for armed struggle, accusing the government of ignoring Darfur. "The objective of the SLA/M is to create a united democratic Sudan.

JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim Muhammad published The Black Book: Imbalance of Power and Wealth in the Sudan, which accuses Arabs of having a disproportionate representation at the top levels of government and administration.

Although JEM and SLA come from different ideological backgrounds they have managed to co-operate in their fight against the government and the Arab militia, the Janjaweed.

But they have continued to maintain separate identities and this has led to tensions.

JEM still has links to Hassan al-Turabi, which is why it is accused by the government of being involved in an alleged coup plot in Khartoum, which it accuses Mr al-Turabi of masterminding.

Sudan govt, Minnawi's SLA sign Darfur peace deal - 2 rival factions refused the deal

The government of Sudan and the main Darfur rebel faction signed a peace agreement on Friday to end three years of fighting, Reuters Estelle Shirbon reported May 5 2006 18:06 GMT - excerpt:

Majzoub al-Khalifa, head of the government's negotiating team, and rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction leader Minni Arcua Minnawi signed the agreement in the Nigerian capital Abuja after days of intense negotiations and international pressure.

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo praised the SLA chief for being not only a military commander but a political leader.

"Leadership comes to the fore when hard decisions are to be made," he said to applause from diplomats gathered at Obasanjo's presidential compound.

"Unless the right spirit is there, the right attitude, this document will not be worth the paper it's written on. The spirit that led to the signing should continue to guide the implementation," Obasanjo added.

Both the government and the SLA faction said they were signing the document despite reservations over power sharing and security in order to end the suffering in Darfur.

Note, the report says it was unclear whether the agreement, signed after two years of African Union-mediated talks, will translate into peace on the ground in Darfur. A rival faction of the SLA and the smaller Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) have rejected the deal.- - -

Sudan, main Darfur rebel group seal peace deal

The deal was signed by representatives of Khartoum and the main faction of the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM), led by Minna Minnawi, in the presence of the peace talks host Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and mediators - Sudan Tribune reported May 5, 2006:

But another rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), and a smaller faction of the divided SLM refused to sign, saying they would not accept the United Nations-sponsored deal.

But while Minnawi’s SLM faction eventually agreed, the smaller SLM faction and the JEM said the proposal still failed to answer demands that Darfur’s three states be united into a single autonomous region.

Abdelwahid Al-Nur, the leader of the smaller SLM faction, said: "We need the document to be improved upon. We are not going to sign it."

A spokesman for Minnawi, Saifaldin Haroun, said the SLM had accepted the AU proposal with the new changes, "but we need to sit with the other SLM (faction) and the JEM and discuss with them."

"We need to go together or else there is going to be a problem. The areas in which we need changes effected are power sharing and security arrangement," Haroun added.

He thanked the international community for its efforts to salvage the talks, which were mediated by the AU in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

"We cherish the international community and we do not want to lose their support. Our acceptance of the document is the first step to peace," he added.

Despite massive pressure from international mediators, both the SLM groups and the JEM had initially refused to sign the deal, even at the risk of international sanctions.

Zoellick Friday insisted the peace proposal could satisfy the warring parties.

"What this agreement does, it creates an obligation on the government to take the steps many people around the world want them to take in terms of disarming and neutralizing the Janjaweed," he said.

"It also creates an opportunity for the rebel movements to begin (the) integration process. They already have an obligation to ceasefire."

Zoellick said "the agreement creates political opportunities so people will have to decide if they want to be part of it or not."

Sudanese government accepts amended Darfur deal - AU

Reuters Fri May 5, 2006 6:07 AM ET 11:07 AM UK:

The government of Sudan has accepted the amended version of a peace agreement for its western Darfur region, a senior African Union mediator said on Friday.

Asked if the government accepted the deal, the AU official said, "Yes."

Earlier the main rebel faction [SLA] also accepted the agreement but two other rebel factions have rejected it.

Reuters - Estelle Shirbon Fri May 5, 2006 7:01 AM ET 12:01 PM UK:

The government delegation, which had earlier accepted the AU draft, told a meeting of African heads of state and Western diplomats they would also accept the new terms.

"They have great misgivings about the amendments and they say practical problems will arise in the implementation ... but they don's want to give anybody grounds to continue the war," said Sam Ibok, head of the AU mediation team.

Ibok said the government's main misgiving was the integration of rebels into security forces. Khartoum representatives said the numbers of rebels to be absorbed into government security forces were too high.

REBEL SPLIT - AU AND UN SECURITY COUNCIL

Mediators clapped and embraced at the end of the session with the government delegation and everyone in the room had a wide smile on their faces despite the all-night marathon talks.

"We are hoping those who are outside the agreements now will not do anything to impede the implementation because if they do there will be a robust response from the AU and the U.N. Security Council," Ibok said.

Earlier a rival faction of the SLA and the smaller Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rejected the deal citing a wide range of objections. AU negotiators said they would bring rival SLA faction leader Abdel Wahed Mohammed al-Nur back to the talks to ask him if he would reconsider and accept the deal. Minnawi has more support among SLA fighters than Nur, observers say, and JEM is marginal in terms of forces on the ground. But it is unclear how useful an agreement signed by only one of the three factions would be. "JEM frankly doesn't matter but Abdel Wahed does.

There are provisions in the agreement for armed groups that are not signatory to be made to observe the agreement," said a Western diplomat, who has been involved in the crafting the blueprint. He said these provisions could offer an avenue to include Nur's faction during the implementation process and he also added there would likely be U.N. sanctions against those who blocked the agreement.

SIGNING CEREMONY AT 1200 GMT IN ABUJA?

Initial plans were being made for a signing ceremony at 1200 GMT in Abuja, though that was not confirmed and there was some discussion of inviting U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to witness the signing.

Further reading

May 5 2006 BBC 12:26 PM UK Who are Sudan's Darfur rebels?

May 5 2006 Unfogged Peace Accord in Darfur

SLA's Minnawi accepts amended Darfur deal with some reservations re power sharing

The leader of the largest faction of Darfur rebels agreed on Friday to sign a peace deal with the government despite reservations, African Union mediators said - Reuters Fri May 5, 2006 5:02 AM ET 10:02 AM UK:

"It's done. Minni is going to sign. He has accepted with some reservations ... but he is going to sign," said Noureddine Mezni, a spokesman for the AU of Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) leader Minni Arcua Minnawi.

In a transcript of Friday morning's talks provided to Reuters by the AU, Minnawi is quoted as saying: "I accept the document with some reservations concerning the power sharing."

The main rebel group, the SLA, is split into two factions but observers say Minnawi has more support among SLA fighters than his counterpart Abdel Wahed Mohammed al-Nur.

Nur's SLA faction and the third rebel faction, JEM, have rejected the peace settlement drafted by AU and Western diplomats.

Photo: UK Cabinet member Hilary Benn, right, and Alan Goulty of the British delegation, attends the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, Wednesday, May 3, 2006. (AP/George Osodi)

May 5 2006 Reuters UPDATE 09:11:12 GMT 10:12 UK: Biggest Darfur rebel faction to sign peace deal-AU. Mediators hope to win government support for the amended draft. There was no immediate word on whether JEM and the other SLA faction would be brought back into the discussions.

May 5 2006 Sudan Tribune (unsourced report): The chief AU mediator at the talks, Salim Ahmed Salim, said more meetings would resume at 9.00am (0800 GMT) after a stormy overnight session, but sounded far from optimistic about how the negotiations could proceed - excerpt:

"It was rough and tough. I'm not encouraged. I think we've reached a point of reality," he told reporters. "We've one consideration in mind, that is the plight of the people of Darfur. It will be a bad day for the people of Darfur if, after all the efforts made and days spent, the (rebel) movements are still wanting," he warned. "We've made the parties realise that their people are dying. They need to think over this. It's time for the leadership of the (rebel) movements to step forward and to help their people," he told reporters.

"These are great opportunities which good leadership must take, but this leadership in the movements is in question," he said. Tugod said a peace deal should include a larger provision to bring leaders from Darfur into the Sudanese federal presidency.

As drawn up by the AU, the proposed peace plan would call for a referendum in Darfur to decide whether to create a single administrative region, but only after fighting has halted and national elections have been held.

May 5 2006 12:15 PM UK Mail & Guardian report excerpt:

"Yes Mr Minni Minnawi, of the SLM faction, has accepted to sign the peace agreement although he expressed some reservations on power sharing," said AU spokesperson Nouredine Mezni.

The SLM is the main insurgent group. But a smaller rebel faction, the JEM, was still holding out.

"I have heard of it but we are not part of it. That has not changed our position," said JEM spokesperson Mohammed Tugod.

A spokesperson for the SLM confirmed his faction's agreement to sign: "The last decision we took is that we accept the AU proposal with the new changes but we need to sit with other SLM and the JEM and discuss with them," said Self Eldin Haruon.

"We need to go together or else there is going to be a problem," he added. "The areas in which we need changes effected are power sharing and security arrangement."

Photo: Ahmed Tugod, the chief negotiator for Sudanese Justice and Equity Movement (JEM), gestures at the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, Wednesday, May 3, 2006. (AP Photo/George Osodi)

SLA (faction of Darfur rebel group SLM) ACCEPTS DEAL

May 5 2006 Reuters UPDATE by Estelle Shirbon Fri May 5, 2006 7:01 AM ET 12:01 PM UK: "I accept the document with some reservations concerning the power sharing," SLA faction leader Minni Arcua Minnawi told Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick and a host of senior diplomats meeting at Obasanjo's Abuja compound.

A spokesman for Minnawi's group later said the main reservation was what they saw as insufficient representation in terms of parliamentary seats. The agreement Minnawi's SLA faction accepted was an amended version. These amendments included stronger guarantees for the rebels in the security arrangement. In particular, provisions for rebel fighters to join the Sudanese armed forces were strengthened, as was a requirement Sudan disarm its proxy Janjaweed militias.

Darfur talks on brink of collapse as SLA & JEM rebels say no

The chance of salvaging a workable peace agreement for Darfur after two years of negotiations appeared remote on Friday after two of the three rebel factions rejected a proposed peace plan.

After the all-night talks at the Nigerian presidential villa ended, Zoellick berated the rebel leaders for rejecting the deal even though he and other diplomats extracted extra concessions for the rebels over the past two days.

"These (concessions) are all the opportunities, but it requires leadership on the part of the (rebel) movements and frankly that's in question," Zoellick told reporters at the end of the session.

Mediators placed their last hope for a deal in Minni Arcua Minnawi, the leader of the larger faction of the SLA.

"We are going to meet Minni again in a few hours. He said he would do his best to bring the others on board," said AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni as the all-night talks broke up.

Full report (Reuters) Estelle Shirbon May 5, 2006. Excerpt:

One faction of the SLA and the smaller Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), rejected a peace settlement but the other faction of the SLA, considered the most powerful, was still undecided after the marathon talks and said it would meet mediators again at 0800 GMT.

"We said that unless fundamental changes are made to this document, it's extremely difficult for us to sign it," JEM chief negotiator Ahmed Tugod told Reuters after emerging from a meeting with heads of state and diplomats.

The SLA faction led by Abdel Wahed Mohammed al-Nur took a similar position after its own meeting with a mediation team that included Zoellick, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and British International Development Secretary Hilary Benn.

Tugod said the JEM rejected the AU draft because it did not meet a series of key rebel demands.

These are a Darfur regional government, a post of Sudanese vice president, greater representation in national institutions, compensation for victims of the war and the allocation of 6.5 percent of Sudan's national income to a Darfur development fund.

Most of these demands have been known for months and mediators have long said they could not be met in full.

The Sudanese government had said it would accept the original AU draft, but the U.S.-led diplomatic push aimed to persuade Khartoum to give a little extra ground in the hope this would bring the rebels round.

The U.S. initiative focused on a trade-off of concessions on two key points. Provisions for the rebels to join the Sudanese army would be strengthened and in exchange requirements on disarming the Janjaweed would be amended in a way that suited the government better.

The rebels are split into two movements and three factions with complex internal politics and a history of infighting. This has hampered the entire peace process.

Related news reports:

May 5 2006 AP (Michelle Faul): Abdelwahid Muhamed El Nur of the main rebel SLA walked out of the negotiations before dawn Friday saying: "We are not going to sign." The action came shortly after a similar declaration from the small JEM, while a splinter rebel faction said it needed time to consult with colleagues in Sudan.

May 5 2006 4:31 AM UK Guardian AP report (Michelle Faul) Small rebel group won't sign Darfur plan - Ahmed Tugod, chief negotiator for the small JEM told The Associated Press that the main sticking point was his rebels' demand for the post of second vice president.

May 5 2006 5:31 AM UK Guardian AP report (Michelle Faul): Abdelwahid Muhamed El Nur of the rebel SLA walked out of the meeting with negotiators, saying: "We are not going to sign."

The action came shortly after the leader of a small guerrilla group issued a similar declaration, while a splinter rebel faction said it needed time to consult with colleagues in Sudan and would return later Friday morning.

May 5 2006 news round-up at Passion of the Present (Eric's posting in US east coast time zone).

May 5 2006 06:33 GMT 07:33 UK BBC report: Eleventh hour peace talks over Darfur break up after two rebel groups say no to a deal. SLA says it will return to negotiations in a few hours. BBC's Alex Last, who is at the talks, says that final hopes for a peace deal now lie with the largest rebel faction in Darfur, another SLM faction, led by Mini Menawi. After a series of meetings with mediators through the night, his group agreed to come back for further discussions at about 0800 GMT.

UK: Margaret Beckett became Britain's first female Foreign Secretary today

"Margaret Beckett will start work today with a daunting inbox, a set of issues that have been around for a while but which are all reaching crisis point" Richard Beeston, The Times Diplomatic Editor, writes in a opinion piece on the challenges facing Margaret Beckett, the veteran minister who became Britain's first female Foreign Secretary today.

Margaret Beckett replaces Jack Straw, who replaces Geoff Hoon as Leader of the House of Commons. See at a glance: Tony Blair's new Cabinet - Britain - Times Online May 5, 2006.

US, UK, EU, UN, AU, Canada, Sudan burning the midnight oil for Darfur Peace

Darfur peace talks in Abuja are expected to last into Friday morning. With patience and time running out, the European Union and Britain put the onus on the rebels and African leaders. Associated Press report excerpt:

The European Union called on the rebels to come to a "definitive agreement," and said failure would be "irresponsible considering the enormous human suffering."

British Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Pearson warned: "The international community will not understand if they (the rebels) fail to take this opportunity to bring peace to Darfur and security to its people."

Revisions to the peace plan made available to AP called for 4,000 rebels to be integrated into Sudan's armed forces and another 1,000 into the police force. In addition, 3,000 rebels would be given training and education at military colleges. The initial proposal mentioned no figures.

The new deal also would provide for rebels to comprise 33 percent of all newly integrated battalions nationwide, and 50 percent in areas to be agreed, notably Darfur.

Zuma said Wednesday his government had considered integrating no more than 100 rebels into the armed forces, and he expected a final agreement to rest somewhere between that figure and the proposed 4,000.

Zuma said Khartoum was willing to agree to the new proposal for a speedy disarmament. The initial proposal was for them to be confined to barracks for an unspecified transitional period.

Other significant changes included giving the rebels 70 percent of all legislators' seats in the three Darfurian provinces. It would be a major concession from Sudan's government but still does not meet rebel demands for the position of second vice president in the central government instead of the proposed special adviser to the president, which would be the No. 4 instead of No. 3 position in the Khartoum government hierarchy.

Rebel negotiators said they remained concerned about security arrangements. The agreement calls for a protection force for civilians but does not detail its composition. They want a joint protection force including rebels and government, African Union and UN forces.

- - -

SLM REBELS

May 4 KR report: Saif Haroun, a spokesman for the SLM, said the US and British proposal provided for 7,000 to 8,000 rebel troops to be incorporated into Sudanese military and police forces - a plan he said he welcomed.

But late Thursday, Haroun said that rebels and Sudanese officials were still at odds over how and when to disarm the janjaweed. The government says Darfur is home to many Arab militia groups that weren't part of the conflict, and it doesn't want to be obligated to disarm all of them.

JEM REBELS

May 4 Sudan Tribune report: There was some hope from Ahmed Hussein, a negotiator of the rebel JEM, who said after meeting Benn and Zoellick that it had received "some amendments" on security, power-sharing and compensation."

"We have always remained very positive about the peace agreement, we just wanted the world to acknowledge our demands," he said.

"So now we are going to review the amendments and we should formulate an opinion, hopefully tonight."
- - -

GOVERNMENT OF THE SUDAN

May 4 White House report: When asked if Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Taha has returned to the Abuja talks, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said "to my knowledge he is not back there."

[Note, any sign of VP Taha arriving in Abuja might signal good news]



UN SECRETARY-GENERAL

May 4, 2006 JIM LEHRER: Do you have the feeling that both sides, meaning the Sudan government and the rebels of Darfur, want this thing resolved now?



SG ANNAN: That is what they say, but we have to test it. We have to really press them to do it.

The lead negotiator for Sudan has gone back to Khartoum, because they indicated they were ready to sign the agreement as put forward by the mediator; the rebels were not ready to sign.

And people have been working with the rebels, and I hope, when the Sudanese mediator, Ali Taha goes back, with the help of all of these presidents and all of this on the ground, that they will be able to steer them in the right direction and get them to sign, because that's the only viable solution.

But it has to be a serious agreement, an agreement that will stand the test of time and make a difference on the ground, not something patched up that doesn't hold...
- - -

DARFUR PEACE TALKS GO ON, DESPITE DEADLINE PASSING

May 4 Reuters report says officials had suggested on Thursday the deadline was likely to be breached as all involved worked into the night to secure a deal - excerpt

Western and African diplomats presented the government and the rebels with an amended version of the peace package on Thursday and put them under intense pressure to accept the plan.

"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 team of diplomats.

"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.

May 4 2006 CP: Two top Canadian diplomats were summoned to the Nigerian presidential palace Thursday as part of a small team of international negotiators hunkered down for a crucial night of peace talks on Darfur.
Canada's high commissioner for Nigeria, David Angell, and UN Ambassador Allan Rock were joined by officials from the US, Britain and the EU at President Olusegun Obasanjo's residence in Abuja.

Annan holds emergency meeting on Darfur

Secretary General Annan Thursday called an emergency meeting of a 17-nation group known as "Friends of Darfur". Among those attending were the ambassadors representing the United States, China, Russia, the European Union and the African Union - VOA:

Mr. Annan said the Friends of Darfur group also discussed boosting humanitarian assistance once a peace deal is reached, and increasing support for an African Union force known as AMIS that will be charged with keeping the peace.

"We need to strengthen the African Union force, because they will have to take steps to initially begin implementing the agreement once it is signed, and as the follow-on U.N. force is going to take time, it is extremely important that we take measures to strengthen the African force, which will mean additional troops, additional logistical support, additional financial support," he said.

May 4 2006 UN News Centre Top UN humanitarian aid official sounds alarm over world inaction on Darfur

EU calls on Sudan to allow UN team visit straight away

European Union Declaration by the Presidency 4 May 2006 - excerpt:

The EU expresses grave concern about the serious fighting currently occurring in Darfur, which is in contradiction with the positive spirit of the Abuja talks. The EU reiterates its strong condemnation of all cease-fire violations and in particular of attacks on civilians and humanitarian agencies. It urges the Government of Sudan and the leaders of the SLM/A and the JEM to take the necessary steps to ensure that the N'djamena cease-fire is strictly respected by all forces they claim to have under their control, and to fully cooperate with AMIS.

The EU believes it to be essential for the transition from AMIS to a UN operation in Darfur to happen as quickly as possible. The EU expresses its concern at the continued failure of the Sudanese Government to allow the visit of the UN planning team and calls on it to do so straight away.

Sudan denies approval of rebels' demands to amend Darfur peace accord

According to Sudan News Agency (SUNA), Sudanese government's disapproval to amendments to the preliminary accord was clear and unchanged, confirming that no amendments will take place without the government's approval, which has not taken place yet.

Some media outlets claimed that the government has approved some amendments to the accord's draft as requested by the rebels.

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.
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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.