THE CONFLICT IN DARFUR

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THE CONFLICT IN DARFUR

• Department of Foreign Affairs
• 10 September 2007

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BACKGROUND TO THE CONFLICT

• Outbreak of the conflict in February 2003
• Justice and Equity Movement(JEM) and Sudan
  Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) oppose
  Government of Sudan (GoS)
• Cause Economic and political marginalisation

3
SECURITY SITUATION

• Since outbreak of conflict it is estimated that
  over 200 000 have been killed, over 4.5 million
  IDPs and over 200 000 refugees in Chad.
• .

4
SECURITY SITUATION (Continued)

• Nature of security situation differs in three
  states of Darfur
• Western Darfur cross-border tensions between
  Chad and Sudan
• Northern Darfur conflict between Government and
  Darfur Peace Agreement non-signatory factions
• Southern Darfur ethnic conflict

5
SECURITY SITUATION (Continued)

• Ethnic Conflict on the rise
• Between Zaghawa and Maaliyah
• Recently among Arab ethnic groups, namely,
  Rezeiget and Torjein for scarce resource and land
  as is nomadic migration season
• Conflict spreading to neighbouring Kordofan
  region
• Attack by JEM and SLM of the Wad Banda government
  base, which resulted in the death of 41 people
  including Sudan Security Forces
• Reason claim base is used by GoS as the logistic
  and supply centre for ongoing aerial attacks on
  South Darfur

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GEO-POLITICAL DIMENSION OF DARFUR CRISIS

• Spill-over effect to Chad and Central African
  Republic
• Refugees and cross-border attacks
• EU proposing to deploying troops on the border of
  the three countries viz. Darfur, Chad and CAR
• Above strained relations between Sudan and Chad,
  and thus the signing of agreements to mend
  relations

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HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

• Ethnic clashes led to further displacement of
  people
• Malnutrition on the rise beyond the emergency
  threshold of 15 to over 17
• Situation exacerbated by continued attacks
  against aid workers, car hijackings and looting
  of aid convoys, which has increased by 150.

8
PEACE PROCESS

• Darfur Peace Agreement signed on 05 May 2006 by
  the GoS and SLM Minni Minawi faction
• Minni Minawi appointed Senior Assistant to the
  President
• Challenges
• Fragmentation of Darfur armed groups. Over 17
  groups in existence.
• Several peace initiatives, Libya, Egypt, Saudi
  Arabia, SPLM, UN, AU recently France.

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PEACE PROCESS (Continued)

• Efforts by UN and AU
• Joint AU-UN Road Map for Darfur Political
  Process
• Phase I convergence of all peace initiatives and
  consultations on the political process and
  parties positions
• Phase II Pre-negotiation phase, which includes
  extensive consultations with the Government and
  Darfur armed groups
• Phase III Negotiation phase

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PEACE PROCESS (Continued)

• Progress on implementation of Road Map
• Phase I
• UN and AU efforts
• French initiative
• Phase II
• Arusha consultations held on 4-5 August 2007
• Purpose creating an enabling environment for the
  non-signatories to meet and consult among
  themselves, and with other participants.
• Outcome Adopted a common position in preparation
  for the forthcoming talks with the GoS

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PEACE PROCESS (Continued)

• AbdelWahid Al Nur failed to attend the Arusha
  consultations commands wide support of the Fur,
  which is the majority ethnic group in Darfur and
  popular among IDPs.
• Reason demands the deployment of an
  international peacekeeping force
• UN Secretary General visited Sudan on 4-5
  September 2007, seen as an effort to tie the GoS
  commitment to ensure speedy deployment of UNAMID.

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PEACE PROCESS

• Post Arusha Challenges
• Representation of all armed groups not only
  Arusha participants
• Inclusion of forces beyond armed groups

13
PEACE PROCESS

• Phase II
• Chad proposed to host preparatory talks
• SPLM Leadership led by Vice President of the
  GOSS, Dr Riek Machr Teny to hold talks with
  AbdelWahid Al Nur
• Phase III
• Venue Libya
• Date 27 October

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PEACEKEEPING

• 28 May 2004 Addis Ababa agreement on
  establishment of a peacekeeping mission
• African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) first
  deployed in 2004.
• Challenges
• Lack of financial and logistical support (heavy
  reliance on donor funding)
• 7 000 not sufficient to cover the whole of Darfur
• Suffered casualties
• Due to above, calls for UNMIS to reinforce AU
  Mission (UNSC Resolution 1590).

15
PEACEKEEPING (Continued)

• 15 March 2006 AU PSC Communiqué - end mandate of
  AMIS by 30 September 2006 and rehat AMIS
• UNSC Resolution 1679 of 16 May 2006 tasked UNSG
  to submit recommendations to UNSC on rehatting
• UNSC Resolution 1706 of 31 August 2006 expanded
  mandate of UNMIS to support the implementation of
  DPA and tasked UNSG to consult with the AU and
  GoS on rehatting
• 28 September 2006 UNSG recommendations and UN
  Support Package to AMIS
• 16 November 2006 Addis Ababa High Level
  Consultative meeting detailed basic elements of
  UN Support Package

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PEACEKEEPING (Continued)

• 30 November 2006 AU PSC endorsed the Three-phase
  UN Support Package
• Phase I light support package
• Phase II heavy support package
• Phase III AU-UN Hybrid Force
• Resistance by GoS

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PEACEKEEPING (Continued)

• Currently 5 900 of 7 000 AMIS on the ground
• Mandate of AMIS expires in December 2007
• On 31 July 2007, UN Security Council passed
  Resolution 1769 authorising the deployment of a
  UN-AU Hybrid Force in Sudan (UNAMID)
• 19 555 military personnel and 6 432 civilian
  police to be deployed

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PEACEKEEPING (Continued)

• African countries that have pledged include
  Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malawi,
  Mauritania, Nigeria (700 troops), Rwanda (800
  troops), Senegal.
• South Africa has been requested to deploy

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PEACEKEEPING (Continued)

• Other countries that have pledged include
  Australia, Bangladesh, China, Denmark, France,
  India, Indonesia (150 civilian police), Nepal,
  Pakistan.
• However, AU Chairperson, Alpha Konare indicated
  that there is no need for troop contribution by
  non-African countries as there are sufficient
  troops within Africa to carry out the mandate of
  UN Security Council in Darfur
• Challenge logistics, equipment

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SANCTIONS

• UN Security Council divided on matter UK and
  France have resumed the threat of sanctions,
  while China argues that dialogue and not threats
  of sanctions will help resolve Darfur conflict
• US has imposed sanctions on Sudan
• US has characterised the crisis as genocide

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HUMANITARIAN LAW

• ICC issued warrants of arrests for Ahmed Haroun
  (former Minister of Interior and now State
  Minister of Humanitarian Affairs) and Ali
  Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman (militia leader).
• Accused of 51 counts of violation of Humanitarian
  Law in Darfur.

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HUMANITARIAN LAW (Continued)

• Khartoum appointed Ahmed Haroura to chair
  committee established by NCP and SPLM to monitor
  the security situation in Darfur
• President Al Bashir handed over the Darfur
  Dossier to Dr Nafi Ali Nafi, his close assistant
  and Deputy Chairperson on NCP

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• THANK YOU