Negotiations; charging forward with the bit between the teeth.

A Lightening bolt in the South

In order to dissuade the arrival of the UN/AU hybrid force, Khartoum attempted to scare off African Union troops in Hashkanita with an armed thrust of tanks and ground troops ( see. Atrocious attacks on the AU ). Khartoum is also in disagreement over the composition of the UN/AU hybrid Force. The UN is only asking for the inclusion of 572 non-Africans. However Khartoum prefers soldiers from Africa because African nations are not able to provide transport vehicles or advanced communication equipment nor do they have qualified personnel with sufficient technical knowledge to work the latest technology. Khartoum is stalling and does not officially answer requests from UN staff on the ground, nor has it clarified its stand on final troop make-up. Different nationalities have drawn objections case by case: Thai soldiers, without further explanation, were refused, probably deemed too sophisticated; Norwegian and Swedish troops were said to have “connections to the CIA and the Israeli Mossad.” As a rule of thumb, Sudan would only accept Chinese and Pakistani contingents : they are not in charge of civilians protection but of public works.. Most Darfuris, who are hopeful and anxious, refuse the latter outright because the two countries favor Khartoum and the Chinese have supplied the Sudanese fighting forces with the guns that killed their people.

The UN sent in a team of experts to make sure the selected national forces had the capabilities and equipment to operate, and requested helicopters from the countries able to supply them. But governments are hesitant to do so because they do not know exactly how the helicopters will be employed. As if to reinforce this uncertainty, Khartoum prohibited six helicopters from landing on the airstrip at El Fasher, and seized two satellite communication dishes belonging to the UN (since given back). The sorry state of affairs has reduced UN ground troops to ask India for fighting camels The Sudanese envoy to the United Nations filed a complaint stating that certain items on the proposed budget violate the spirit of the Resolution; two sections of the rapport pay insufficient attention to national and local authorities; only four Sudanese soldiers have been accepted to serve on the hybrid force; the UN granted a no-bid contract to the American company Lockheed Martin to supply needed infrastructure; and the leadership positions (all of them held by Africans) between the UN and the AU are unfavorably disproportionate. The government insists on the need that the hybrid force gets its authorization before telecommunications are used or troops start off and has forbidden all flights at night. “ Protecting civilians doesn't stop when the sun goes down ” protested Jean-Marie Guehenno, in charge of UN peacekeeping operations in New York . Will the Hybrid Force ever arrive?

The International Community wants a peace accord for the Darfur region as soon as possible. Catering to Khartoum , arrangements were made for negotiations to occur in Libya as Beshir views Qaddafi in a friendly light. It goes without saying that the same mediator that brokered the disastrous Abuja Accord presided at the Sirte talks. The gathering hosted an array of diverse and largely insignificant rebel groups. Key leaders such as Abd el Wahid did not attend. His refusal was followed by that of Khalil Ibrahim, head of the JEM faction, a group without much notoriety but lots of weapons and a lot of cash. As negotiations commenced Khartoum flush with months of attacks and atrocities, promised a ceasefire. Its forces increased raiding internally displaced persons camps and uprooting them to nowhere.. Muamar Qaddafi said that the only reason why they had left their villages for camps was to be fed free of charge. He likened the Darfur conflict to “a quarrel over a camel”. And it was nothing more than a tribal skirmish, he continued, and only neighboring states with adequate understanding of the matter were qualified to handle its resolution. To the dissatisfaction of the mediators, he added that as the main rebels were absent, negotiations were futile. The attending rebels asked for a “time out” so that they could confer. They were granted their request for a pause. Reaching Juba, they came to a realization: Libya was far from being the ideal place for talks. They then divided themselves into two federated bodies. The UA mediator, astounded, stated that without the principle rebel leaders, negotiations were moot. Sudan specialist Gerard Prunier said “ perhaps the best solution would be to arm the rebel groups ”.

The South has reinvigorated its resistance. Faced with the non-application of the CPA peace resolution, the political bureau of the SPLM, the party in power in the South, unanimously chose to suspend its participation in the National Unity Government. This position gives the SPLM more leverage. The decision came shortly before the opening of the Darfur talks. It lifted any illusion of what a perfunctory signature on the part of Khartoum would mean. Moreover, the decision was widely applauded by the people of the South.

It has become clear that the Regime has applied neither the Cairo Accord, nor the Eastern Front agreement, or for that matter the Abuja Agreement. Regarding the CPA, the Regime seems to have hoped that the persistent absence of defined borders between the North and South, the lack financial oversight on petrol-sharing accommodations, the ongoing presence of the SAF in the South, would cancel out the future referendum on self-determination. For Southerners who see a lack of progress toward democracy and the observance of basic human rights, the straw that broke the camels back was the appointment of Lam Akol as Foreign Minister. He seems to feel obliged to give in to the most far fetched demands issued by the NCP. to be considered as a minister. In line with CPA stipulations, Salva Kir asked for his resignation, but Beshir refused to honor the call. In the end Beshir finally did revise government postings almost according to the SPLM's wishes and tall the ministers to go back to work.. In point, retorted Salva Kir, all our demands have not been satisfied. However during the course of a prolonged meeting, Salva and Beshir decided to form a six members committee which would outline and monitor ideas relevant to CPA non implementation in the South. The biggest stumbling block has been Abyei which SPLM members were told to put at the top of the agenda. However the newly formed committee soon concluded it was useless to hammer out an agreement on the matter without Al Beshir and Salva Kir meeting.

Growing more concerned by the day, the international community impressed upon Khartoum the necessity of applying the CPA. At the time of its signature, the United States had guaranteed its implementation. But Beshir refused all foreign intervention. The West, he claimed, wanted to reignite the North/South conflict. Salva Kir, having a long standing invitation to Washington accepted to make the trip to the United States much to Beshir's displeasure. In a show of pique, Sudan 's president called up the Popular Defense Force militias readying them for war in the South. The American administration sprang a nasty surprise on Salva Kir in Washington claiming that the CPA had to be renegotiated. It proceeded to send a panel of experts to Sudan on a fact finding mission. Did the disapproval come from the backers of the anti-terrorist alliance with Khartoum , or from groups hoping for the fall of the Beshir government, or from individuals keen on selling the future of the South down river in order to save Darfur . or from those who actually realize the shortcomings of the CPA? Salva Kiir is aware of the last reason. Ali Osman Taha and John Garang were supposed to have finalized the peace but they did not write everything and are no longer players. One is powerless and the other one is dead. As far as we can judge, Salva must have realized that reopening negotiations could lead to an eternity of 13 years similar ro the present one, from 1992 to 2005. In addition, Khartoum is far more muscled now thanks to oil revenues. Because the Americans are embroiled in Iraq and the Sudanese caught up in Darfur , the Americans have far less clout in than in 2005. According to Wasil Ali of the Sudan Tribune , acting on the renegotiation proposal would weaken Salva Kir and humiliate the Southerners. Salva told the Americans that renegotiations would open up Pandora's Box. He explained that modifications and changes would compromise the referendum, and basically, the CPA was 90% effective. He also said he would reject any suggestions coming from “the panel of experts”. Yet during meetings with Democrats he confessed how little the CPA was enforced. His divergent remarks annoyed the Americans, but did little to calm Beshir who dud not consider th American offer as a friendly move. Upon Salva Kir's return to Juba , he reassured to the best of his ability the crowds there to greet him on the prospects of a peaceful and happy tomorrow. The SPLA is arming.

Bételgeuse