Press Release

A cautious welcome to the Abuja Agreement

MAY 8, 2006

The Sudan Human Rights Organization Cairo Office welcomes, with caution, the Abuja Peace Agreement that has been signed by the Government of Sudan and a group of the Sudan Liberation Army on the 5th of May, 2006.

According to the agreement, the rebels will lead a transitional government for the three governorates and provincial headquarters of the regions of Darfur. A presidential assistant, party to the Presidency, will be responsible for the new system of governance.

The agreement approves individual compensations for victims of the Darfur’s crisis. 4,000 rebels will amalgamate with the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan Police Force. Also, 3,000 rebels will be incorporated in civil service. The agreement requires disarmament of the Janjaweed, the People’s Defense Forces, and the other militias. The arms and the other military equipments of these troops will be collected in allocated centers under tight control.

By agreement, three ministerial positions will be reserved for the rebels as well as state ministers in the federal government, a governor of one of the three regions of Darfur, deputy governors for the two other regions, six provincial administrators, and six executive administrators. The agreement provides for the establishment of a Development Fund for which the government will initially deposit 300 million dollars, in addition to 30 million dollars annually.

The Abuja peace mediators pledged to transfer specific amounts of money via an international conference. The signing partners, however, expressed reservations on some of the provisions: while the government was reluctant to approve incorporation of the rebels unto the Armed Forces and the Police Force “being too many for such incorporation,” the rebels voiced deep grievances about issues of “wealth sharing.”

The agreement has not specified time tables for implementation, nor has it designed clear modalities to enforce provisions with respect to disarmament and the party responsible for it.

Only one faction of the Sudanese Liberation army led by Arko Minawi adopted the agreement. The two other rebel groups, i.e., the Justice and Equality Movement and another faction of the Sudan Liberation Army (led by ‘Abd al-Wahid Mohamed Nour of the Fur large ethnicity) have not signed the agreement. Other groups in the region rejected the agreement, according to a statement issued by councils almost including 17 Arab groups.

The Sudan Human Rights Organization expresses deep concerns about the government’s rejection of the United Nations’ peace-keeping process, although the government had earlier promised to recognize the UN role before it signed the agreement.

The Organization believes it is very important that the UN assumes responsibility of the peace keeping mission that should be provided with the necessary competencies to be able to protect the civilians of Darfur.

The organization emphasizes the urgent need to remove all restrictions from the international relief agencies and humanitarian organizations in the regions of Darfur.

SHRO-Cairo affirms: the partial resolutions to resolve the Sudan’s crisis will not ensure a stable, permanent, or comprehensive settlement:

The need is strongly felt for an All-Sudanese National Constitutional Conference, which alone is the real path to establish the permanent, just, and comprehensive peace.