Sudan
Sudan: Darfur
Darfur Peace Agreement | International efforts | International Criminal Court
| Humanitarian access | UK response
Bordering Libya, Chad and the Central African Republic, Darfur is
a large region in western Sudan that comprises three states and has
a population of roughly seven million. Since February 2003, there
has been an armed uprising against the government, which has
affected about 4.5 million Darfuris, some 200,000 of whom have fled
to Chad.
On 5 May 2006, the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), brokered by the
African Union (AU), was signed by the government of Sudan and the
Minni Minawi faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement. According to
the DPA, the signatories will have a greater say in government at
both national and Darfur levels. It also requires the Sudanese
government to build confidence in the agreement, particularly by
disarming the militias that it supports. However, most major rebel
factions refused to sign the DPA.
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The UK is at the forefront of the efforts to bring lasting peace
and security to Darfur, and we have played a leading role in helping
the UN reach international consensus on the way forward.
On 28 March 2007, the government of Sudan and the UN signed a
‘humanitarian communiqué’ that endeavoured to remove bureaucratic
obstacles to access by humanitarian aid organisations to Darfur.
Progress in this is being monitored by the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD).
On 31 July 2007, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a
resolution - UNSCR 1769 - that mandated a AU/UN hybrid force of
26,000 civil and military personnel in Darfur. As of October 2008,
8,738 military personnel had been deployed out of a potential total
of 19,555.
The destabilising effects of the Darfur conflict on the wider
region, and particularly on Chad, also need to be resolved. At the
UN Security Council on 25 September 2007, the UK co-sponsored UNSCR
1778, which authorised the deployment of a European Union force and
approved a UN mission to Chad and the Central African Republic. The
UN operation is intended to build up the Chadian police, protect
refugees and internally displaced people and help create a more
secure environment in eastern Chad.
Ultimately, peace in Darfur can only be achieved through the
political process. We welcomed the appointment on 30 June 2008 of
UN/AU chief mediator Djibril Bassolé, formerly the foreign minister
of Burkina Faso. We have also committed £1 million to support the
UN/AU to lead the peace process and we stand ready to support Mr
Bassolé in his efforts to reinvigorate it, including hosting talks
if that would help. Securing a sustainable peace deal for Darfur
also requires effective consultation and engagement with civil
society from all ethnic groups. We are funding key positions within
Darfur-Darfur Dialogue and
Consultation, the mechanism for consulting civil society. .
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March 2005 saw the passing of UNSCR 1593, which referred the
situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The
Hague. On 2 May 2007, the ICC issued arrest warrants for both
militia leader Ali Kushayb and Ahmed Haroun, the current Sudanese
Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, for war crimes. This was
followed, on 14 July 2008, by the chief prosecutor’s announcement
that he would seek an arrest warrant for Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir
for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
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Around 4.5 million people are affected by the conflict in Darfur,
but the deterioration in the security situation has made it
increasingly difficult to reach them. Attacks on humanitarian
workers are having a particularly severe impact on getting help to
those most in need. Between January and October 2008, more than 225
humanitarian vehicles had been hijacked and more than 114 compounds
attacked.
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The UK government is committed to facilitating a peaceful
solution to the Darfur conflict and addressing the region’s
humanitarian, early recovery and peace-building needs. We’ve already
given substantial resources to help alleviate the immediate
humanitarian crisis and will continue to push for full access for
all humanitarian workers operating in Darfur.
The UK is Sudan’s second largest bilateral humanitarian donor,
having contributed in excess of £334 million since April 2004, of
which about £174 million has been for Darfur. For 2008/09, we’re
committed to giving around £110 million for humanitarian, conflict
prevention and development work across Sudan, plus £5 million in
humanitarian assistance to Chad.
The majority of our aid goes through the Common Humanitarian Fund,
managed by the UN’s humanitarian coordinator, which in 2008 provided
around $150 million to address the most urgent needs. The UK
provides almost 50% of this. We also give multi-year funding to
international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to help meet
humanitarian need across a number of sectors.
The UK condemns the continuing violence in Darfur, especially the
targeting of civilians and humanitarian workers. It calls on all
sides to end this immediately, renew the ceasefire, engage fully
with the political process and support the rapid deployment of the
AU/UN peacekeeping force.
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