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Ending Conflict in Sudan:
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KAIROS remains troubled by the lack of international response to the conflict in Darfur, western Sudan. With over 200,000 people dead and 2 million more displaced from their homes, the international community has backed only a weak and ineffective African Union monitoring force and no significant resolutions/sanctions at the United Nations. The following document gives an overview of recent developments involving Sudan and offers recommendations for the Canadian government at UNCHR 61.
- Peace and conflict in Sudan
- The Conflict in Darfur
- International Response to the Crisis
- Recommendations for UNCHR 61
The Canadian churches have a long history of working in Sudan and so began 2005 with hope. On January 9th, in the face of much scepticism and active attempts at destabilization, the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) signed a peace agreement promising to put an end to a war in southern Sudan which has lasted for over 20 years.
Great challenges remain for the country, however. As peace comes to the South, other conflicts in the country such as those in the Darfur, Kordofan, and the Beja regions, linger and in some cases intensify. The conflict in Darfur, for example, shows no sign of abating, and the Government of Sudan has taken no concrete steps to ease the crisis and protect its people.
At consultations with the Canadian delegation to UNCHR 60, KAIROS stated its concern over the growing crisis in Darfur. In February 2004, we wrote, “Canada should demand that all parties in the conflict in Darfur cease their vicious and indiscriminate attacks on civilians and that the parties begin working toward a negotiated settlement. Canada should insist that the Sudanese government take immediate measures to ensure the protection of civilians in the region before the human rights tragedy of southern Sudan repeats itself in Darfur.” One year later, we could repeat those exact words, altering just the final phrase to read, “the human rights tragedy of southern Sudan is repeating itself in Darfur.”
Over the last year violence has increased in Darfur, deepening the nature of the crisis and worsening the violations of human rights. Today, women of all ages are being raped in western Sudan as a strategy of terrorizing the population, and entire communities are under attack. These violations, along with numerous others, have been committed in a systematic manner by the Janjaweed and, according to human rights groups, often in coordination with Sudanese soldiers and the Sudanese Air Force. As well, these crimes persist with total impunity, targeting mainly members of the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups living in Darfur.1 Like many of the violations of human rights committed in Darfur, large-scale rape of women constitutes a war crime.
Alongside the violence, the prospect of famine and dangerous food shortages have grown acute in recent months. Numerous humanitarian organizations including Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (which had the earliest significant presence on the ground in Darfur) are strenuously urging the UN's World Food Program to deliver more food in the region. Anticipating both continued violence and a failed spring planting season (and consequent failed harvest in 2005), these groups realize that without massive pre-positioning of food, the logistical and transport capacity for humanitarian operations will be overwhelmed again during this year’s rainy season. Today, hundreds of thousands of lives are at risk.
Top
of pageInternational Response to the Crisis
Throughout the previous year, the international community represented on the UN Security Council has been at odds to reprimand the Sudanese authorities for their lack of action to halt the violence and has instead passed a series of ineffectual and inadequate resolutions with only idle threats of future sanction. The Security Council has demanded that Khartoum "fulfill its commitments to disarm the Janjaweed militias and apprehend and bring to justice Janjaweed leaders" in Resolution 1556 (July 30, 2004; Section 6). This demand, along with others, has been contemptuously ignored by Khartoum, without consequence for the GoS. The disheartening response of the Council has been to pass a series of even weaker resolutions (No. 1564, September 18, 2004 and No. 1574, November 19, 2004).
In January 2005 the Security Council received the report of the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur. The report concluded that crimes against humanity and war crimes have been committed in Darfur.2 The Secretary-General has called that report "one of the most important documents in the recent history of the United Nations". The report demands action including a request that the Security Council refer the issue of Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigation. The request is unfortunately long overdue but, worse, is receiving resistance from at least two permanent members of the Council, China and the United States.
To date, the international community has authorized only a small African Union monitoring force to report on the atrocities with the result that violence continues alongside the massive levels of displacement. The UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has recommended the deployment of a United Nations peace support operation in Sudan of 10,130 troops and 755 civilian police. Unfortunately, even this moderate force has not been approved.
The Resolution on Sudan must:
- express the Commission’s great concern over the escalation of violence in Darfur, particularly around IDP camps, and that the Government of Sudan must take immediate steps to disarm Janjaweed in accordance with UN Resolutions and halt the continuing violations of human rights and humanitarian law;
- support the recommendations found in the Report of the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur for securing peace with justice, including ensuring accountability for those who have committed atrocities;
- urge the Government of Sudan and the rebels to secure a resolution to the crisis that includes guarantees for the political participation in the national government of all groups in Darfur, particularly women;
- ensure the safe and voluntary return of refugees and IDPs to their places of residence;
- secure the effectiveness of the compensation commission set up by the Sudanese government to provide reparations to victims;
- ensure the protection, freedom of movement and operations of humanitarian and human rights workers throughout Sudan; and
- call on the Security Council to refer the situation in Darfur to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for immediate investigation.
As well, Canada should:
- insist in its Item 9 statement that Sudan comply immediately, fully, and substantially with the recommendations of the UN’s Security Council, the Secretary General’s Mission of Inquiry, as well as the Joint Communiqué signed by the Secretary General and representatives of the Government of Sudan in July of last year;
- commit to working with all parties to find peaceful resolutions to the conflicts throughout Sudan, but particularly the one in Darfur;
- support the new peace in southern Sudan by ensuring the health and safety of (re)established communities with new funds from outside the present ODA envelope.
1. See Amnesty International’s report,
Darfur: Rape as a weapon of war: sexual violence and its consequences,
19 July 2004.
2. Report of the International Commission of Inquiry
on Darfur to the United Nations Secretary-General, 25 January 2005.
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