Press Release/Commentary by ESPAC posted on May 24, 2004 at 17:39:25: EST (-5 GMT)
DARFUR'S HUMANITARIAN CRISIS 2: DOCUMENTS
The European-Sudanese Public Affairs Council
http://www.espac.org
Date of Publication: 24 May 2004
Introduction
Since February 2003, there has been a military conflict between two
armed groups and the Government of Sudan in Darfur, a region in western
Sudan. These groups, the 'Sudan Liberation Army' (SLA) and the 'Justice
and Equality Movement' (JEM), launched their first attacks on government
garrisons in the region. Since these attacks the conflict escalated,
seemingly out of control, and has resulted in many deaths and the
displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians within Sudan. Many
others have fled into neighbouring Chad. A stark humanitarian crisis has
ensued. On 19 April 2004, the government and rebels signed a
humanitarian ceasefire agreement as a first step towards a lasting
peace. In May the government issued a statement outlining further steps
it was taking with regard to humanitarian issues in Darfur. These two
documents are reproduced below:
Document 1
May 2004 Joint Communique from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the
Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs on the Facilitation of Humanitarian
Access to Darfur
Khartoum, 20 May 2004
In fulfillment of its responsibilities and obligations toward its
citizens and to ensure their well-being, and in adherence with the
protocol on humanitarian access and the ceasefire agreement, both signed
in N'Djamena, Chad in April 2004, the Government of Sudan recognizes the
crucial need for immediate humanitarian assistance in the region and is
determined to alleviate the suffering that has resulted as a byproduct
of the war. This is one of the steps the Government is taking to enable
the citizens of Darfur to return to their homes in time to prepare and
plant their crops before the commencement of the rainy season. In
efforts to facilitate the expected influx of assistance from various
groups and partners, the Government of Sudan has decided the following:
1 To grant aid workers from various organizations, including the
U.N., Red Cross, and NGOs, direct entry visas from Sudan missions abroad
within forty-eight hours of application. The visas will be valid for
three months.
2 To suspend the current system of travel permits required for
travel to Darfur for three months. In its place the Government will
require only that the aid workers have entry visas and provide the
Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs with their names and itineraries.
3 To keep working on facilitating other procedures that will
guarantee the delivery of the equipment and supplies needed for
humanitarian work in Darfur.
4 These procedures will be effective Monday, May 24, 2004.
5 For more details references can be made to the Ministry of
Humanitarian Affairs.
Based on the Government's open-ended vision to guarantee and facilitate
humanitarian efforts, the Government calls on the African Union to
prompt the deployment of the Cease-Fire Monitoring Team to Darfur. The
presence of the Cease-Fire Monitoring Team will guarantee the flow of
humanitarian aid and contribute to reinstating stability to the region.
The Government also calls on the displaced persons and citizens of
Darfur to return to their regions; the Government is committed to the
Ministry of the Interior's security plan that guarantees their
protection and security.
Document 2
April 2004 Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement on the Conflict in Darfur
19 April 2004
Under the auspices of His Excellency, Idriss Deby, President of the
Republic of Chad, Head of State, assisted by the Chairperson of the
Commission of the African Union, and in the presence of International
Observers and Facilitators, The Government of the Republic of Sudan, the
Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and the Sudan Justice and Equality
Movement; hereinafter known as the Parties, have agreed on the
following:
POLITICAL PREAMBLE
Convinced of the necessity of the establishment in Darfur of a
democratic political culture to guarantee to the populations of the
region their political, economic and social rights; Convinced that only
a global, just and durable solution negotiated peacefully can resolve
the problems in Darfur; Convinced that a mechanism for a political
solution should be envisaged as soon as possible;
1 The parties undertake to join their efforts in order to
establish a global and definite peace in Darfur.
2 The parties agree to meet under the auspices of the Tchadian
mediator in a period not exceeding two weeks, to negotiate a definitive
settlement of the conflict and to discuss solutions to the problems of
Darfur, with a view to finding a definite and global settlement in the
framework of a conference between all the representatives of Darfur,
especially in relation to its socio-economic development.
3 The parties undertake to create a conducive environment for
negotiations and to cease all hostile media campaigns.
HUMANITARIAN QUESTIONS
-Agreeing on the fact that any peaceful and durable settlement of the
problem of Darfur can be achieved only through frank and sincere
dialogue,
-Determined to give up the use of force as means of settling the problem
of Darfur,
Article 1: The parties decide on the cessation of hostilities
between them and specifically proclaim a cease-fire for a period of 45
days automatically renewable except if opposed by one of the parties.
The ceasefire will be effective on land, and air, to allow on one hand,
a fast and unrestricted humanitarian access to the needy populations of
Darfur and on the other hand, to arrive at a just and durable solution
to the problem in Darfur;
Article 2: The cessation of hostilities between all the forces of
the parties will be effective 72 hours after the signing of this
Agreement.
During the cease-fire, each party shall:
-Refrain from any recruitment operations;
-Refrain from any military action, and any reconnaissance operations
-Disengage and refrain from any deployment, movement or action which
could extend the territory under its control or which could lead to a
resumption of hostilities;
-Stop laying landmines; mark and sign post any danger areas and mine
fields;
-Refrain from supplying or acquiring arms and ammunitions;
-Refrain from any act of violence or any other abuse on civilian
populations;
-Stop any act of sabotage;
-Stop any restriction on the movement of goods and people;
-Stop any form of hostile act, including hostile propaganda;
-Ensure humanitarian access;
-Refrain from any military activity which, from the opinion of the
Cease-fire Commission or the Joint Commission, could endanger the cease-
fire;
Article 3: The parties shall establish a Cease-fire Commission
composed of 2 high ranking officers from the Parties, the Tchadian
mediation and the international community in accordance with the
sovereignty of the Sudan.
Article 4: The mandate of the Cease-fire Commission shall consist
of:
-planning, verifying and ensuring the implementation of the rules and
provisions of the cease fire;
-defining the routes for the movement of forces in order to reduce the
risks of incidents; the administrative movements shall be notified to
the Cease-fire Commission.
-assist with demining operations;
-receiving, verifying, analyzing, and judging complaints related to the
possible violations of the cease-fire;
-developing adequate measures to guard against such incidents in the
future violations
-the parties shall provide the head of the Cease-fire Commission, or his
designated representative, immediately upon request information required
for the implementation of this Agreement on the understanding that the
information will be held confidentially.
-the parties shall give the Cease-fire Commission and its personnel
unrestricted access throughout Darfur;
-determine clearly, the sites occupied by the combatants of the armed
opposition and verify the neutralization of the armed militias.
The Cease-fire Commission shall report to a Joint Commission composed of
the parties, the Tchadian mediation and the international community.
Article 5: The parties have decided to free all the prisoners of
war and all other persons detained because of the armed conflict in
Darfur;
Article 6: The parties shall ensure that all armed groups under
their control comply with this Agreement. The forces of armed opposition
should be assembled in clearly identified sites. The Sudanese Government
shall commit itself to neutralize the armed militias.
Article 7: The parties have agreed to meet as soon as possible
under the auspices of the Tchadian mediation and the international
community to discuss pending points, notably about setting up the Joint
Commission and the Cease-fire Commission mentioned in article 3 and 4 of
the present agreement;
Article 8: The parties undertake to facilitate the delivery of
humanitarian assistance and the creation of conditions favorable to
supplying emergency relief to the displaced persons and other civilian
victims of war and this, wherever they are in the Darfur region, in
accordance with the appendix attached to the present Agreement;
Article 9: In case of non respect of the clauses of this Agreement
by one of the parties, the other party will refer such a case to the
Cease-fire Commission and if necessary the Joint Commission.
Article 10: This Agreement can be amended by agreement of the
parties with the consent of the Cease-fire Commission. The parties may
agree to renew this Agreement for an additional 45 days not later than
21 days before the expiry of the Agreement. Any party may notify the
Cease-fire Commission of its intention for renewal and if the parties
agree, this Agreement shall be extended for an additional two months
period;
Article 11: This Agreement shall take effect as from its date of
signature. It is drafted in Arabic, in French and in English, all three
texts being equally authentic.
Done at N'djamena, this 8th Day of April, 2004.
For the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A)
MINI ARKOU MINAWI
Secretary General
For the Government of Sudan (GOS)
ACHERIF AHMAD OUMAR BADOUR
Minister for Investment
For the Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement (SJEM)
NASRADINE HUSSEIN DIFALLAH
President
MAHAMAT SALEH HAMID
Deputy Secretary General
For the Tchadian Mediation
NAGOUM YAMASSOUM
Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and African Integration
For the African Union
SAM B. IBOK
Representative of the Chairperson of the Commission