Sudan
News and events
April 13 2008 was the Global Day for Darfur. Prime Minister Gordon Brown
marked the day by pledging to work with the United Nations and the African Union
to end the suffering of the region's people. 
Read
Gordon Brown's statement on the No10 website
Darfur
Despite the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) by the Government of Sudan and one faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) on 5 May 2006, conflict in Darfur continues. It is largely a local struggle for resources, land, water and grazing rights and the related attempts to win power within the indigenous tribal administration structure. It is also an attempt to wrest more government finance to the peripheral western part of this huge country: it is no coincidence that the conflict worsened while another peripheral region – the south – was negotiating a peace agreement with the central government (see section on Southern Sudan ).
In late 2002 / early 2003 the conflict reached new heights with the overt involvement of government forces and the establishment of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM). The SLM waged an increasingly effective guerrilla war against the central government, police and security forces. In response, the government equipped and mobilised groups of Arab militias (known as ‘Janjaweed’) as counter insurgency forces to fight the rebels. The excesses of the Janjaweed included rape, burning of thousands of villages and forcing the sedentary population to flee to refugee camps.
As the
2005 report by an International Commission of Inquiry (ICI) set out,
the Government of Sudan, the Arab militias and the rebels are all guilty of
serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law, which may amount to
crimes against humanity and / or war crimes. Estimates suggest that the
targeting of civilians has led to the displacement of more than 2 million
people. The remoteness of Darfur means there are no reliable figures about how
many people have been killed and estimates vary widely.
Darfur Peace Agreement
The African Union brokered Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) signed on 5 May 2006 between the Government of Sudan and the Minni Minawi faction of the SLM, is a good deal for Darfur.
BBC report
"Main
parties sign Darfur accord "
If adopted by all sides it should provide the basis for the return of the millions of people who fled their homes, and a return to normality. It gives the rebels a say in government at the national and Darfur levels, and provides for a substantial reconstruction package. It also requires the Government of Sudan to build confidence in the Agreement, particularly by disarming the Janjaweed Arab militias.
But implementation is slow, also held back by the refusal of other rebel factions to sign it. The UK continues to press both the Government of Sudan and non-signatory rebel groups to commit to the peace agreement for the sake of the people of Darfur. We are urging all parties to renew the political process. Failing to do so would fail the millions of civilians who are suffering the consequences of the conflict in Darfur.
UK response to the crisis in Darfur
The UK Government is gravely concerned about the situation in Darfur. Stopping the violence and providing civilian protection are the UK’s first priority: attacks on civilians, including rape, burning of villages and destruction of livelihoods must stop immediately.
The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to bring lasting peace and security to Darfur. We played a leading role in helping the UN reach international consensus on the way forward. The agreement which Kofi Annan struck in November 2006 in Addis Ababa, called for: an immediate and effective ceasefire; a renewed and inclusive political process; and increased UN support to the AU mission in Darfur (AMIS) ahead of a joint AU-UN peacekeeping mission with UN command and control structures.
The UK government has continued to lobby international partners at the AU, the UN, including Russia, China and the wider Security Council, and the European Union in a concerted effort to press the Government of Sudan to implement the conclusions of the Addis Ababa meeting.
On 31 July 2007, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted UN Security Council Resolution 1769, which mandates the AU/UN Hybrid force for Darfur. This is an important step towards ending the conflict. The UN/AU Hybrid force will be vital to restoring peace and stability in Darfur. The UK is pressing for early and rapid deployment, which would see up to 20,000 AU and UN peacekeeping forces and up to 6,000 police and civilians to support the implementation of the DPA – and any subsequent peace agreement - in Darfur.
The UN already provides significant assistance to AMIS in the form of military personnel, police and civilians, plus logistics and aircraft. This is being implemented through a staged approach, which will result in the deployment of the joint AU-UN operation with command and control structures provided by the UN.
In the meantime the UK Government continues to support AMIS. The UK was the first cash donor and has committed £73 million since its inception. This includes £35 million pledged in 2006/07. This funds logistical support to the AU, including delivery of over 900 vehicles, support for the airlift of Nigerian peacekeepers, and payment for fuel, salaries and food. The UK has also provided military planning expertise to the AU and seconded a British observer to the mission. There is also support for AMIS’ efforts to inform Darfuris of the content and benefits of the DPA.
In the long-term, only a political process can resolve the crisis in Darfur. All parties to the conflict need to engage in serious and comprehensive negotiations. The UK welcomes the AU’s and UN’s lead in taking forward the political process, which the UK continues to support with international partners. Following a meeting of Darfur rebels in Arusha on 3-6August, negotiations between the Government of Sudan and the rebel movements began in Sirte (Libya) on 27 October. The UK Special Representative for Sudan attended the meetings as an observer.
In support of the peace process, the UN and international partners – including the UK - launched the Darfur Community Peace and Stability fund in October 2007 to promote peace and reconciliation at community level where security conditions on the ground will allow this. This is intended as a peace incentive. Key principles are that interventions should ‘do no harm’ and support peace building and reconciliation. We are working closely with Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) to ensure humanitarian efforts are not compromised and that early recovery does not encourage the premature return of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The Prime Minister re-iterated that Darfur remains a high priority for the UK during his visit to the USA on 30-31 July. To take forward the joint initiative launched with French President Sarkozy on 20 July, he promised further development aid dependent on progress on security, ceasefire, political process and humanitarian access. He warned all sides that action is required to avoid further sanctions.
There can, and will be no impunity for the terrible crimes committed in Darfur. For this reason, in March 2005, the UK sponsored UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1593 and referred Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC). On 2 May 2007 the ICC issued arrest warrants for the two individuals named in connection with alleged atrocities in Darfur. The UK government has told the authorities in Khartoum that they must surrender the individuals and co-operate unconditionally with the ICC. The ICC will continue to have full UK support for its activities.
The destabilising effects of the Darfur conflict in the wider region, in particular Chad, need to be resolved. On 25 September, the UK co-sponsored UNSCR 1778, which authorises the deployment of an EU force and approves a UN multidimensional mission to Chad and the Central African Republic. The UN operation is intended to build the capacity of the Chadian police, to protect the refugees and IDPs and help create a more secure environment in eastern Chad. The UK takes every opportunity to call on the Governments of Chad and Sudan to stop supporting each other’s rebels and fulfil their obligations under the Tripoli agreement of 8 February 2006.
The UK is committing considerable resources to help to alleviate the immediate humanitarian crisis and will continue to push for full humanitarian access for NGOs operating in Darfur. The UK is the second largest bilateral humanitarian donor, having contributed over £290 million in humanitarian assistance to Sudan (£145m to Darfur) since April 2004 and having committed £6.5m in humanitarian assistance to Chad in 2007/08.
In November, the UK assumed the observer seat reserved for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on the High Level Committee which monitors the implementation of the Humanitarian Communiqué. The Communique was signed by the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the UN on 28 March 2007 and endeavours to remove bureaucratic obstacles to humanitarian access in Darfur. We continue to press the GoS to comply with its commitments.
The British government remains committed to a peaceful and prosperous Sudan, and will continue to play a leading role in international efforts to support work towards a peaceful future for Darfur.
