Memorandum submitted by the Associate
Parliamentary Group for Sudan
A cross party delegation including Hilton Dawson
MP, Jenny Tonge MP, David Drew MP and John Bercow MP visited Sudan
between 27 June and 4 July 2004 under the auspices of the Associate
Parliamentary Group for Sudan (APG). The Group visited El Geneina,
West Darfur on 1 July and Nyala, South Darfur on 2 July. The Group
met with a wide constituency of people including UN and humanitarian
agencies, Government of Sudan (GoS) representatives, Darfur Arabs
and people in displacement camps. Below is a summary of the Group's
findings and recommendations on Darfur and the relevant chapter
on Darfur from the Group's report Sudan's Opportunity for Peace
and Development. Enclosed is also a copy of the full report
as the APG strongly believes that the crisis in Darfur must be
seen in the context of Sudan as a whole.[9]
SUMMARY
The humanitarian consequences of the crisis
in the Darfur region of Sudan must not be dealt with separately
from its political causes. Humanitarian and political solutions
need to be sought in parallel. The APG believes the application
of a simple "Arab" on "indigenous African"
dichotomy is misleading and should not be used to overlook deep
rooted and historical factors that have led to the fragmentation
of interdependent communities. This is not to deny that ethnicity
is subjectively relevant and that it has become politicised in
the context of Darfur. The issue of land is integral to the conflict,
the break down of traditional tribal mediation mechanisms, neglect
and underdevelopment and national and regional political factors
need to be taken in to account in any analysis of the causes of
the conflict and search for comprehensive solutions.
The humanitarian needs in Darfur including,
food, water, shelter, sanitation, and health are enormous. The
nature of the attack on civilians has meant the need for long-term
humanitarian assistance in the region. There are now hundreds
and thousands of people in displacement camps within Darfur and
across the borders in Chad. There are also large sums of people
beyond the reach of humanitarian assistance whose numbers cannot
be quantified. Funding for the humanitarian response by the international
community has clearly been inadequate. The UK Government has contributed
substantially towards the humanitarian appeal for Darfur and the
Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal for Darfur has managed
to gain considerable exposure and resources for the humanitarian
effort. However, greater and long-term funding is needed to address
humanitarian capacity and needs in Darfur. Access has improved
and obstacles to humanitarian delivery have been largely lifted
but ongoing insecurity, poor weather conditions and logistical
problems continue to hamper efforts to access those beyond reach.
Although the presence of international agencies has increased
the numbers and capacities of humanitarian agencies remains insufficient
compared to the scale of the crisis. The international community
must continue to push all parties to the conflict to uphold the
ceasefire and allow full, unimpeded access to conflict affected
populations.
Conditions in the camps are dire. The rainy
season has brought water borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery.
Populations have found themselves confined to camps, their movements
severely restricted. Protection remains a serious concern with
gender-based violence against women rife, whilst beatings, looting
and disappearances continue to take place. There are a small number
of UN human rights monitors on the ground in Darfur. The APG calls
on the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights to assign a much greater
number of human rights monitors in Darfur and asks member states
to provide the funding for this to happen.
Despite a Memorandum on Voluntary and Safe Return
signed by the GoS, local authorities continue to apply "direct"
and "indirect" pressure on people to move back to unsafe
villages or other locations. Concern has been raised about "safe
areas" agreed between the UN and GoS. Safe areas may end
up looking like "peace villages" as used by the GoS
in the Nuba Mountains and Central Sudan and could be used to consolidate
displacement and secure major towns. It is vital that the international
community objects to the "safe areas" policy and that
all return takes place on a voluntary basis.
The African Union (AU) has been tasked with
monitoring the ceasefire in Darfur but has an inadequate number
of troops on the ground and has requested an increased troop force
of up to 5,000 as well as an expanded civilian protection mandate.
Questions still remain about the inexperience and capacity of
the AU to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. The international
community must therefore give their full backing to the AU including
providing funding, equipment, transportation, training and logistics
to enable them to carry out their tasks effectively. The APG believes
the AU should be provided with the mandate to not only protect
civilians but also to disarm the Janjaweed. Protection remains
the overall priority. Reports suggest the GoS has absorbed Janjaweed
militias in to the army and police forces now providing "protection"
to populations in camps. The APG believes the international community
needs to apply sustained pressure on the GoS to ensure that this
policy is immediately stopped. This also points to the need for
monitors to work along side the police forces in Darfur.
The crisis in Darfur threatens to destabilise
the Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) peace process
and push the country back in to war. International diplomatic
efforts have so far focused predominantly on the humanitarian
crisis. The APG believes the international community must now
give full financial and diplomatic backing to finding a political
solution to the Darfur conflict whilst at the same time sustaining
pressure on the GoS and SPLM/A to swiftly conclude negotiations
in Naivasha. It is also imperative that the Darfur and IGAD processes
are co-ordinated in order to avoid ambiguities and confusions
between the two processes and to create a global and inclusive
agreement providing for democracy and the sharing of power and
resources throughout Sudan. The UN Department of Peacekeeping
Operations must begin planning now for security operations in
Darfur.
The UN Security Council has passed two resolutions
on the Darfur crises in July 2004 and September 2004. The APG
welcomes the establishment of an international inquiry in to human
rights violations and war crimes in Darfur by all parties to the
conflict as set out in the former resolution. The inquiry should
be set up rapidly and adequately funded by donors. Human rights
groups have also reported on human rights abuses committed by
rebel forces, who need to be pressurised in to opening up territory
under their control for human rights monitoring. Continued attacks
on civilians and alleged links between the GoS and militias in
Darfur makes imperative the application of a UN arms embargo against
the GoS. The APG recommends that failure by the GoS to meet its
obligations, as set out in the UN Security Council resolutions
should result in targeted economic sanctions against members of
the GoS.
Achieving peace in Sudan will require a shift
in thinking away from the North South paradigm, which has typically
been used to portray the ongoing conflict to a focus on centre
periphery issues. The tragedy in Darfur points to the urgent need
for this shift to take place and there are also other multiple
trouble spots on the verge of exploding if the needs in those
areas are not immediately addressed. The international community
must focus its energies and efforts on inclusive programmes that
address the economic and political marginalisation that is fuelling
discontent and conflict in the peripheral regions in Sudan.
It is of vital importance that the Darfur crisis
does not take the focus away from Sudan wide issues. The APG believes
that active participation in the post-conflict phases by the troika
US, UK, Norway and IGAD partners will be crucial to secure peace
in Sudan. The critical need for financial support is apparent,
but this must be reinforced by sustained political commitment
and ongoing multilateral diplomatic efforts. Extraordinary efforts
are needed from national, local, regional and international actors
if Sudan is able to achieve as envisaged in the Machakos Protocol
a comprehensive solution that replaces war "not just with
peace, but also with social, political and economic justice which
respects the fundamental human and political rights of the Sudanese
people".
November 2004
9 Not printed. Copy placed in the Library. Back
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