The first meeting of the Sudan Consultative Forum in Khartoum
The Sudan Consultative Forum was set up in May following a request by the African Union Commission to the Chairperson of the Peace and Security Council. It is to serve as a coordinating mechanism for the Sudan peace process, and held its first substantive meeting on Saturday 17th July in Khartoum. Its purpose is to provide coordinated international support for implementation of the remaining provisions of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), for an inclusive global political agreement to promote lasting peace, justice and reconciliation in Darfur, and for the democratic transformation of the Sudan.
Participants at last week’s meeting included delegations from neighbouring countries: Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda, and representatives of the permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America), of Norway and Qatar, of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development Secretariat and of its Chair, of the League of Arab States, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the European Union (EU) and the Assessment and Evaluation Commission (AEC). The meeting was co-chaired by the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra, and the UN Under-Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Alain Le Roy.
The meeting heard presentations from the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM), and representatives of the parties to the CPA provided additional information and clarification. The Forum received reports on the situation from the Joint AU-UN Special Representative for UNAMID, the Deputy Joint Chief Mediator, and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Sudan. It was also briefed by the Chairperson of the AU High Level Implementation Panel on the Sudan (AUHIP) on its efforts in regard to the implementation of the CPA and for the promotion of peace, justice and reconciliation in Darfur.
The Forum reiterated its call to the NCP and the SPLM to strengthen their partnership and to work closely with other key Sudanese stakeholders to address urgently the key challenges of the critical final phase of the interim period of the CPA. Time is short. The stability and future of Sudan will depend on decisions taken in the next few months, on reaching agreement on the outstanding processes of the CPA, including the putting in place of necessary structures for the full implementation of the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission.
The Forum welcomed the Mekelle Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reached between the NCP and the SPLM on the basis of which negotiations on the post-referendum issues will be conducted. The AUHIP, assisted by the UN, IGAD and the IGAD Partners’ Forum (IPF) will facilitate this. Participants stressed the need for the parties to keep a clear sight of the objectives and the necessity for a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect. The Ethiopian delegation emphasised that this was a defining moment for the future of the Sudan. Solutions were in the hands of the parties but they needed all the help they could get, from the AU, the AUHIP and from the Forum. It was important that initiatives should be coordinated and that there should be coherence among the various processes as with the recent signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in Mekelle.
The Forum reiterated the need for an inclusive Darfur political process that would address all the key issues for the people including security, justice and reconciliation as well as social, economic and humanitarian issues. There was serious concern at the way the security situation had deteriorated since May, with significant loss of life and new population displacements. The meeting called upon the Government of Sudan and the armed movements in Darfur to respect the terms of the ceasefire. It stressed the need for urgent and concerted efforts to provide security in Darfur.
The Forum commended the AUHIP, UNMIS, UNAMID and the JCM, for diligent work in carrying out their respective mandates and for their cooperation in support of Sudanese political processes. It pledged to continue to provide coordinated support to all the parties to help deal with all challenges they face in the remainder of the interim period. These are processes which will shape the future of Sudan. The Forum is to meet every two months; the next meeting will be in October. The venue has yet to be announced.