Darfur Peace Agreement Requires Continued US Engagement to Succeed

May 9, 2006 -(Refugees International Press Release) Refugees International welcomes the signature of the Darfur Peace Agreement in Abuja on May 5, 2006, and commends the US government for its substantial commitment, especially through the presence and engagement of Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, to ensure that an agreement was reached.

On the matters of civilian protection and returns, several key issues have been agreed upon, including the disarmament and demobilization of the Janjaweed militia, the integration of the rebel groups into the armed forces, and the creation of buffer zones around camps for internally displaced persons. Other important elements of the agreement include the establishment of commissions to oversee the rehabilitation of Darfur and compensation to the war-affected, with the Government of Sudan indicating that it will contribute an initial $30 million to a compensation fund.

The agreement in Abuja is only a first step, a necessary but insufficient condition for the creation of peace and stability in Darfur. With one faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement refusing to sign, and Minni Minawi’s SLM faction already attempting to distance itself from the agreement, the risks of spoilers and non-compliance are high. Agreements in the past have been flouted by all sides, including the Government of Sudan. There have already been demonstrations by internally displaced persons in Darfur against the peace agreement, resulting in an attack on the African Union civilian police and the death of a Sudanese translator.

Above and beyond questions of compliance and good-will, the following steps need to take place over the next few months in order to improve the situation for the people of Darfur:

* Increase humanitarian assistance. There is still a serious shortfall in funding for humanitarian assistance, most critically with regards to food. Rations in Darfur have been halved from 2,100 calories a day (the minimum required to stay in good health) to 1,050 calories in order to stretch the food stocks through the rainy season. Over the last several days, the US has reported that it has directed immediate resources to Sudan; much of this assistance, however, had already been requested by the Administration in February. European donors also need to increase their contributions to equal that of the US.

* Get UN troops to Darfur. To date, the government of Sudan has resisted all attempts to allow for the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to transition to a UN peacekeeping mission, despite the AU in principle authorizing such a handover. Sudan has insisted it would consider a transition only after a peace agreement was in place. Signals from Khartoum have been mixed, but now is the time to move forward. Taking into consideration the May 15 AU Peace and Security Council meeting, where a transition to a UN force should be authorized, RI would like to see the UN Security Council work as quickly as possible to introduce a resolution to expand the mandate of UNMIS to include Darfur.

* Strengthen AMIS. AMIS, which is already under-funded and overstretched, has been given an important verification and monitoring role in the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement. Any proposed UN mission will not be in place until near the end of this year. The AMIS donor’s conference, which had been postponed, needs to be held this month. Major donors, such as the US, need to transform pledges into commitments and AMIS needs full and immediate logistical assistance from NATO.With the signing of the agreement, there is momentum to move forward. Over two million people have been living in desperate conditions for nearly three years. Nevertheless, it is important that donors and the Sudanese government do not pressure the people of Darfur into hasty returns. A year and a half ago the Sudanese government forced displaced persons to return to their villages as proof that the situation was stabilizing. In August of 2005, donors and UN agencies planned for major returns in 2006 because of projected funding cuts and an overly optimistic analysis of the humanitarian and security situation in Darfur.

The US has made many pledges, promises and commitments over the past several days to the rebel parties, to the Sudanese government, and to the people of Darfur. The signature of accords in Abuja is just the beginning; the role of the US in bringing peace to Darfur is not yet over.

From: http://refugeesinternational.org/content/article/detail/8576