SUDAN/FILE: Sudan ought to do more to disarm pro-government janjaweed militias, African special envoy urges

Sudan ought to do more to disarm pro-government Arab Janjaweed militias blamed for many of the atrocities against civilians in its war-torn western region of Darfur, African Union special envoy, Salim Ahmed Salim, urged on Saturday. Salim made the call at the end of a visit to the Sudan that was aimed bolstering support for the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) that the Khartoum signed with only one out of three negotiating rebel factions in May in the Nigerian capital Abuja. The rebels took up arms in 2003 to demand a greater share of power for Darfur, a vast region in northern Sudan. Khartoum armed mainly Arab Janjaweed militias to put down the revolt, which has exacerbated the conflict. The Janjaweed are accused of a campaign of rape, murder and pillage, which Washington calls genocide. Khartoum denies genocide but the International Criminal Court is investigating alleged war crimes in the region. The Sudanese government had to disarm the Janjaweed in accordance with the DPA, but according to Salim, it still has to back that up with concrete actions on the ground. "The issue of the Janjaweed has to be acted and acted upon swiftly," demanded Salim, who was the AU's chief mediator during the talks in Abuja that led to the signing by Khartoum and a faction of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement, of the DPA. "This is something which has been a demand of the African Union, it's been a demand of the United Nations Security Council, it's been a demand incorporated in the DPA. So the question of the disarming of the Janjaweed is one of the most important components of the implementation." Salim also lamented the lack of progress in implementing key aspects of the agreement. "Many of the provisions of the agreement have not been adhered to and on this really the blame goes all over the place," the AU envoy said. Sincere implementation of the DPA, said Salim, was important if the agreement was to hold and attract non-signatories. "While at the time that we are striving to bring those who are outside the agreement into the agreement, it's absolutely crucial that those who are in the agreement should stay with the agreement," said Salim. The AU and UN have agreed to team up and exert more efforts in convincing opponents of the agreement, some of who continue to launch attacks in Darfur, to come on board and Salim warned that the world was running out of patience. "Though we are trying to do our level best to broaden the support, but if people try to be difficult for the sake of being difficult, or simply for the sake of personal positions, then of course the international community and Africa will have to deal with them accordingly," said Salim. Sudan is under United States-led pressure to accept a UN force in Darfur, which Washington says is essential to stop the violence that has killed an estimated 200,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes since it flared in 2003. Khartoum rejects the move as an attempt to restore colonial rule, but has welcomed the world body's logistical and financial support to the ill-equipped 7,000-strong AU force, which has failed to stop the violence.

ITN Source | December 3, 2006

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