Since violence erupted in Darfur in 2003, several hundred thousand people have been killed or injured, more than two million have been displaced and are now living in camps in Sudan or Chad, and over four million people have been pushed into extreme poverty and depend entirely on international aid for survival. For more than four years, the international community has failed in its responsibility to protect Darfurians, its reaction characterized by half-hearted measures and a piecemeal approach.
Recent events, including Special Envoy Eliasson’s announcement of a “road map towards peace” and Khartoum’s acceptance of the AU/UN Hybrid operation for Darfur, have created a new window of opportunity for action. A strong, comprehensive strategy addressing all aspects of the conflict at once is absolutely critical. We believe that only such a comprehensive approach will bring a sustainable peace to the people of Darfur, Sudan, and the region.
Human Rights First’s vision of a comprehensive plan includes the following elements:
Human Security
- An immediate, unconditional cessation of hostilities
- Full and rapid deployment of the U.N.-A.U. hybrid operation
Humanitarian Effort
- Full and unfettered humanitarian access
- Adequate resources to meet humanitarian needs
Peace Process
- Full investment by the international community in the A.U.-U.N. peace process
- An inclusive political process with consultation and active participation by all interested stakeholders
Political Will
- Sustained high level diplomacy that supports the long-term political process
- Pressure on Khartoum that includes real accountability measures
Regional Security
- Containment of the conflict: no spill-over into Chad and the Central African Republic
- Recognition that North/South Comprehensive Peace Agreement must be preserved
Foundations for the Future
- Commitment to justice and accountability (e.g. International Criminal Court cooperation)
- Investment in reconstruction and rebuilding
Human Security
A lasting peace cannot be negotiated in an atmosphere of violence and human insecurity. Such security requires the following elements:
- An unconditional cessation of hostilities with an immediate cessation of all hostilities between belligerent parties and all acts of violence against civilians and humanitarian workers, including aerial bombings and military operations.
- A credible plan for and verifiable steps towards disarmament and demobilization of the Janjaweed militias and other rebel groups.
- An expanded arms embargo to stop the flow of arms on the ground.
Special Envoy Must Urge Parties in Darfur to Cease Hostilities Immediately
Read HRF's Letter
- The rapid establishment of the African Union / United Nations Hybrid Operation for Darfur (UNAMID) with a clear Chapter VII mandate for civilian and aid worker protection.
- Accelerated deployment of the authorized, so-called “Heavy Support Package” of roughly 3,000 peacekeepers and civilian police that must precede the Hybrid Operation.
- Rapid commitments and follow-through of troop contributions, financial resources, and logistical assistance by Member States for the Hybrid Operation
- Vigilant monitoring and enforcement, if necessary through targeted sanctions, of Sudan’s commitment to accepting the Hybrid Operation without conditions.
- Readiness to respond rapidly to any increased attacks against civilians including IDP’s, refugees, and humanitarian workers before the Hybrid operation is deployed and functional.
U.N. Mandates Troops to Protect Civilians in Darfur - Read the HRF Statement
Humanitarian Effort
Any comprehensive plan must acknowledge that humanitarian operations are essential to prevent further suffering and casualties, and must:
- Ensure complete, unobstructed access and full security for humanitarian aid organizations through respect for international humanitarian law and existing commitments including the recent agreement between the Government of Sudan and the United Nations on Facilitation of Humanitarian Activities in Darfur.
- Full international support to meet humanitarian needs in Darfur, including adequate staffing of the OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) mission for the Darfur crisis and rapid appointment of a new Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan and Deputy Coordinator in Chad.
Peace Process
Working for peace is a full-time job, and those charged with negotiating that peace must be focused, coordinated, and present. A meaningful peace process requires the following elements.
- Complete investment in the A.U.-U.N. peace process:
- Full support of the international community for a coordinated, unified peace process under the leadership of U.N. Special Envoy Jan Eliasson and A.U. Special Envoy Salim Salim;
- A complete mediation team including the full-time involvement of the Special Envoys with continuous presence in the field and an experienced full-time staff of professional mediators on the ground.
- An inclusive political process guaranteeing the participation of all belligerent parties (including non-signatories to the Darfur Peace Agreement), based on broad consultations with all stakeholders and, in particular, those affected by the conflict including civil society, tribal leaders, and representatives of Internally Displaced Persons, women’s groups, and refugees, as well as the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS).
Political Will
The international community must end its tolerance for untrustworthy promises and pleas for patience by the parties, particularly the Government of Sudan, and demand accountability with a credible threat of consequences in the case of non-compliance:
- Sustained and continuous high-level diplomacy from all members of the contact group on Darfur, especially the African Union, the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom, the Arab League, and neighboring Chad and CAR.
- Willingness of all States to use various tools, including the credible threat of targeted sanctions, to bring pressure on all parties, in particular the Sudanese government, to fully cooperate with the peace process.
Regional Security
- Develop strategies simultaneous with the peace process to stem the spillover of the conflict into Chad and the Central African Republic.
- Ensure that the current instability and efforts to resolve the crisis in Darfur do not further jeopardize the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the North and the South of Sudan.
Foundations for the Future
- A long-term commitment to principles of justice and accountability for crimes and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including the recognition that justice cannot be traded for peace.
- Full cooperation of the Sudanese government with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in existing and future proceedings involving war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur conflict, as well as the international community’s support for ICC investigations.
- A comprehensive strategy for ensuring transitional justice involving (among others) the Peace Building Commission (PBC) and Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security, which addresses the special role played by women in peace building processes as disproportionately affected victims of conflicts.
- Long-term commitment to reconstruction of the Darfur region, particularly
- adequate support for appropriate resettlement efforts
- resources for rebuilding and regional development
- focused efforts to address the environmental impacts of the conflict and the existing environmental challenges in the region.
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