The UN’s mini-summit on Sudan
UN Secretary-General, Ban ki-Moon, convened a high-level meeting on Sudan on Friday last week [24th Sep]. It followed the meeting of the IGAD Council of Ministers on the sidelines of the General Assembly in New York, in which IGAD, while welcoming the establishment of the South Sudan Referendum Commission and the appointment of its Secretary General, had called on the two parties to work together fully to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). IGAD also encouraged the parties to expedite the establishment of the Abyei Referendum Commission and the full demarcation of the Abyei area administration and the North-South border. It emphasized the need to redouble efforts to realize post referendum arrangements. It also expressed its appreciation of the African Union’s High Level Implementation Panel, headed by former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, for assisting the parties to implement the CPA. It assured the panel of its support.
The objective of the mini-Summit was to mobilize international support for full and urgent implementation of the final elements of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. And in addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Meles, as chairman of IGAD, stressed the urgency: the issue was now one of peace or war. There was no other conflict comparable to it. “If we succeed in Sudan, it will be a major success; and if we fail it will be catastrophic.” That’s why the AU had provided its best efforts with the panel led by former President Mbeki. Prime Minister Meles stressed that issues, including post-referendum arrangements, the Abyie issue and border demarcation, were all linked and must be addressed. Business as usual would not work. The process of negotiation over CPA implementation must be changed. A more effective method was needed. The two parties had to play the decisive role. The ultimate incentive was peace and the parties must live up to their responsibilities without preconditions. IGAD provided the framework for the CPA, but there could not have been a CPA without the support of the international community. It was necessary to revamp the negotiation process and reinforce support to the peace process in the limited time remaining.
Participants at the Summit recognized the CPA parties’ commitment to the peace process and welcomed the expression of their commitment to make every effort to ensure peaceful, credible, timely and free referenda as provided for in the agreement and to overcome the remaining political and technical challenges as well as hold the referenda on 9th January next year. Participants confirmed their commitment to respect the outcome of credible referenda and to help maintain sustainable peace in the post-referendum period. They called for the urgent establishment of the Abyei Referendum Commission and for the acceleration of the work of the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission. The two parties recognized that whatever the outcome of the referenda their relationship would be essential for managing any transition, post-referenda arrangements and for the maintenance of peace and prosperity. Participants welcomed the commitment to resolve post-referenda arrangements, including border management, security, citizenship, migration issues, debts, assets and natural resources, as well as the agreement to put in place a framework to resolve all outstanding issues as agreed at the meeting of parties in Mekelle, in Ethiopia on 23rd June.
Participants also stressed the importance of inclusive, timely and credible consultation processes in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan States, in accordance with the CPA. They welcomed the United Nations provision of technical and logistical assistance for referenda preparations, and the work of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel, and the support of the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD), the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, as well as other regional and international partners of Sudan. The meeting agreed adequate international funding was necessary to alleviate humanitarian problems in Southern Sudan, and highlighted the urgent need to assist Southern Sudan develop governance capacities. It welcomed the meeting held in Brussels on 17th September in which the Government of Southern Sudan put forward a framework for immediate functional priorities in the South.
The meeting welcomed efforts to reach an inclusive solution in Darfur, supporting the work of the Joint Darfur Mediator and the Government of Qatar, urging all armed movements to join the peace process without preconditions or further delays. It expressed support for the principles guiding the Doha negotiations, and called on all parties to immediately cease hostilities and allow unrestricted freedom of movement and access to the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and the humanitarian community. It welcomed the government’s commitment to end impunity and protect civilians in Darfur. It reiterated strong support for UNAMID and its efforts to promote the engagement of all Darfurian stakeholders. The meeting took note of relevant Security Council resolutions and the need to support efforts to halt illegal arms flows into Darfur.
Participants expressed appreciation of the work of IGAD in brokering the CPA, with the support of other regional and international partners of the Sudan, including the African Union and the United Nations. In awareness of growing urgency, they committed themselves to empower and support the parties to complete implementation of the CPA, to resolve post-referenda arrangements and work to achieve sustainable peace. Equally, they noted that while the referendum is an important benchmark of the CPA it does not mark the end of the obligations of the two parties to work together for a peaceful transition. It was firmly underlined that the core objective of the international community and of all stakeholders in Sudan is peaceful coexistence for the peoples of Sudan, acceptable to all, together with accountability, equality, justice and the establishment of conditions to allow the building of strong, sustainable and peaceful livelihoods. The urgency of the situation has been underlined by the decision of the UN Security Council to travel to Sudan next week. They will be visiting Khartoum, traveling through both North and South Sudan and visiting Darfur.