"Those who don't sign, we will continue to appeal to them" - Obasanjo

Applause and cheers sounded Friday as Sudan's government and the main rebel group signed a peace agreement and then proceeded to initial each of its 85 pages. The hall in a Nigerian presidential villa was filled with traditional leaders in white turbans, fighters in camouflage turbans, diplomats and journalists, AP/ST reported May 6, 2006:

Unless the right spirit, unless the right attitude and right disposition is there, this document isn't worth the paper it is signed on," said Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, a key figure in peacemaking efforts across Africa and host of the protracted Darfur talks. "Those who don't sign, we will continue to appeal to them. The window of opportunity must not be allowed to close."

Photo: Majzoub al-Khalifa, (R) head of the Sudanese government's negotiating team, and rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction leader Minni Arcua Minnawi (L) shake hands after signing the deal in the Nigerian capital Abuja May 5, 2006 (Reuters/ST).

Minni Minnawi's rival, Abdel Wahid Nur met with Obasanjo for hours Friday, delaying the signing ceremony, and then briefly went into the hall where the accord was to be signed.

He left, telling reporters the proposed accord was "a big disaster" because he believed it did not go far enough to guarantee disarmament of the Janjaweed militia linked to the atrocities. Nigerian security forces tried to stop Nur from speaking to reporters, then barred reporters who had followed him out from returning to witness the signing.

"The deteriorating situation in Darfur must be addressed urgently, and not put off until if or when a U.N. force may be in place," said Paul Smith-Lomas, who directs the Darfur operations of the British aid group Oxfam.

AU threatens to treat Darfur insurgents as war criminals if peace deal not signed in next 10 days

The African Union threatened on Saturday to treat insurgency movements' leading members refusing to sign the Darfur Peace Agreement as criminals of war if they did not sign the document within the next ten days, Kuwait News Agency reported May 6, 2006 - excerpt:

The African Union President said in statements quoted by the Sudanese daily "Akhbar Al-Youm" that a period of 10 days had been granted to insurgency movements that had not signed the agreement, following which the file would be referred to the African Peace and Security Council and then on to the UN Security Council.

He reaffirmed the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1591 and said that leading members of the armed movements were criminals of war and would be trialed as such.

The Sudanese government and the Leader of Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) Meni Arkowi Menawi had signed a peace agreement yesterday in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, which would end the conflict in Darfur.

Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) refused to sign the agreement despite relentless efforts by mediators.

Deliberations are to take place at a later date so as for parties that signed the agreement to set a date for its implementation.

Bush sent letter to Minnawi assuring US support of Darfur peace accord - Ceasefire due in 7 days - US asked Rwanda to add 1,200 peacekeepers to AMIS

AP report at Guardian and Sudan Tribune May 6, 2006 - excerpts:

Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, who helped spur negotiators to agree to stop the killing in Darfur, said Friday the embattled East African country is far from safe even if the peace agreement should take hold.

Zoellick also said the United States had asked Rwanda to send in 1,200 troops to supplement the 7,000 African Union monitors already in place.

Speaking to reporters by telephone from Abuja, Nigeria, where the drawn-out talks ended in Friday's signing, Zoellick said that he hoped for a significant decline in violence.

Nevertheless, he said, Darfur "is going to remain a dangerous place. There is still a lot of distrust and fear."

In response to questions, Zoellick said there were "spoilers still there."

"That is a reality and certainly a danger," he said.

At the same time, Zoellick said, "there is a lot of sense of trying to have a new start for the people of Darfur."

President Bush intervened during the difficult negotiations, sending a letter to the largest rebel group, Minni Minnawi, with assurances that the United States would give strong support to implementation of the peace accord, assist monitoring compliance, hold accountable those who do not cooperate and support a donors' conference for Darfur, Zoellick said.

The deputy secretary said he read the letter to the assembled parties during the night.

A cease-fire is supposed to take effect in seven days, and the government is required within 37 days to complete a plan to move armed militia to restricted areas, remove heavy weapons and for disarmament of the warring groups.

"There will be a push definitely to move forward the U.N. peacekeeping force," he said. However, a rainy season in June will delay the process of reorganizing the African Union forces into U.N. blue berets. Zoellick, having talked with several African leaders, said that there are estimates it would require at least four to six months.

The United States will do whatever it can to help the peacekeepers, Zoellick promised, but he stressed "this was an African event and there is a lot of emotion."

"One of the trials of this whole process is there is a deep legacy of distrust and fear," he said. "One of the things that prolonged the discussions in Abuja month after month is that people were just talking past each other.''

"It was not traditional negotiations," he said.

Further reading

May 6 2006 Reuters Annan pushes Sudan to move fast on UN peacekeepers: Kofi Annan pressed Sudan's government on Friday to quickly let UN planners begin preparing for a peacekeeping mission in Darfur after the signing of a long-delayed peace agreement. "Now is the time for them to allow the assessment mission to go in, for us to move expeditiously, and I do intend to be in touch with the Sudanese authorities precisely on this point," Annan told reporters.

May 5 2006 Reuters US says Rwanda may send in more troops to Darfur: "It's a time to turn from guns and bullets," Zoellick told US-based reporters in a conference call from Abuja, where he helped in marathon negotiations to reach a deal with Sudan's main rebel group and the government. Two smaller groups have not signed it.

May 5 2006 Darfur rebels who refused to sign risk UN sanctions - Breakaway members of Nur faction embraced Minnawi and Khalifa while tribal leaders cheered

May 5 2006 International mediators making efforts to include Darfur rebel factions SLM and JEM in peace deal

May 5 2006 Sudan govt, Minnawi's SLA sign Darfur peace deal - 2 rival factions refused the deal

May 5 2006 SLA's Minnawi accepts amended Darfur deal with some reservations re power sharing

May 5 2006 Reuters Chronology of Darfur conflict, peace efforts

May 5 2006 BBC analysis Who are Sudan's Darfur rebels?

Quote of the Week

"It's a time to turn from guns and bullets."

- US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, May 5, 2006, Abuja, Nigeria.



Photo: Rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction leader Minni Arcua Minnawi signs a deal with the Sudanese government in the Nigerian capital Abuja May 5, 2006, after days and nights of intense talks under global pressure. The government of Sudan and the main Darfur rebel faction signed a peace agreement on Friday to end three years of fighting that has killed many thousands of people and forced 2 million to flee their homes. (Photo Reuters/STR)

UNICEF staffer shot and wounded in eastern Chad

An employee of the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF), was shot and wounded. The aid worker was evacuated to the capital, N'Djamena, to receive medical assistance and remained in a serious condition, officials said.

A man dressed in military fatigues jumped down from a pick-up truck and shot the aid worker at close range in the arm on Friday night in the town of Abeche, before making off with her United Nations jeep, officials quoted witnesses as saying.

Annan stresses need for aid to Darfur; decries 'appalling' rights violations there

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on the world community to do more to aid the people of Darfur, saying their human rights have been violated in the most "appalling" way, and describing the situation in that part of Sudan as an "inexcusable tragedy" - May 5, 2006 UN News Centre report excerpt:

"Even in the best-case scenario, the AU will be expected to shoulder this immense challenge for several more months. It deserves the international community's help. The lives of the people of Darfur depend on it."

He also noted the "intensive efforts" going on to help the warring parties in Darfur reach a political agreement to end the violence, saying he still hoped that "within the next day or two" there could be an agreement embracing all parties and calling on each of them to "seize this opportunity...for the sake of their people who have suffered so much."

Darfur rebels who refused to sign risk UN sanctions - Breakaway members of Nur faction embraced Minnawi and Khalifa while tribal leaders cheered

"We are reaffirming that the fighting ends now in Darfur ... We shall go ahead with peace and we shall be serious," [SLA leader] Minnawi said at a signing ceremony at the Nigerian presidential complex.

Two other rebel factions refused to sign, complaining that the document fell short of their basic expectations.

Diplomats said this could pose problems in the implementation phase.

"There will be tests because not all have shown courage and leadership today," said U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick at the signing ceremony.

"Those parties are bound by the cease-fire as all are," he added.

UN SANCTIONS

The rebels who refused to sign also risk U.N. sanctions such as travel bans or a freeze on assets.

Diplomats had said all along it was most important to persuade Minnawi to sign as he controls more SLA fighters than Nur, while JEM is marginal in terms of forces on the ground.

Nevertheless, Zoellick, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and other leaders and diplomats tried until the last minute to coax Nur into signing, delaying the ceremony by several hours.

Their efforts failed, but a group of members of Nur's faction who were upset with him for refusing to sign burst into the signing ceremony as it was almost ending and said they wanted to be associated with the peace agreement.

FORMER FOES EMBRACED

In an emotive moment, the breakaway members of the Nur faction embraced Minnawi, their former rival, and Khalifa, the government chief, while elderly Darfur tribal leaders in traditional robes and turbans cheered and chanted.

Full report Reuters Estelle Shirbon May 5, 2006.

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.