FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jonathan Hutson, jhutson@enoughproject.
WASHINGTON – The international community must take a new approach to peace in Darfur by abandoning its piecemeal approach to Sudan, and demanding a comprehensive peace process that will address overarching national grievances, according to a new Enough Project policy report.
“It is time to recognize that the issues in Darfur mirror those in South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and the East, which all stem from a common denominator of marginalization by the center,” said co-author and Enough Project Advisor Omer Ismail. “To move toward peace in the north, the international community should prioritize a push for an all-inclusive, national process that reflects the will of the Sudanese people.”
The authors advocate for a comprehensive peace process that would deal with all of Sudan’s warring regions collectively, and establish mechanisms to address national issues such as the concentration of power and wealth sharing.
"The Darfur peace process is dead,” said co-author and Enough Project Co-Founder John Prendergast. “The idea that any one region can be negotiated in a process unconnected to other regions that suffer the same inequities and repression is fatally flawed. The time has come to move to a new phase in peacemaking in Sudan, before the country is engulfed in a full-scale national war. A process involving all regions, constitutional reform, and elections is the peaceful way to resolve Sudan's multiple conflicts. Absent that, more intense war will follow, and the suffering of Sudan's population will deepen."
A national peace process, which includes establishing a constitutional conference followed by free and fair elections, should aim to resolve shared grievances—such as economic and political marginalization at the hands of the ruling regime in Khartoum—that have been negotiated ineffectively at the regional level. The process should also include a second phase in which regional stakeholders, including Darfuris, could negotiate any outstanding issues unique to their region.
“To ensure the success of a comprehensive peace process, there must also be a change in the mediation,” said co-author Laura Jones, a Sudan policy analyst for the Enough Project. “The competitive approach to peacemaking that has defined the Darfur mediation thus far must be countered by the designation of a new, internationally-supported mediator, who can effectively negotiate with all parties.”
The report provides a "Checklist for a more inclusive all-Sudan peace process," which outlines attributes of an ideal mediator, as well as prerequisites for a successful peace process.
Read the full report: "How to Save Darfur’s Peace Process"
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Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org.