AU: situation in Darfur may undermine peace treaty implementation

The deteriorating situation in Darfur, marked by an upsurge of inter-tribal clashes and the recent killing of four peacekeepers, has the “potential to seriously undermine” the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), stated the African Union during the 400th meeting of its security council.The DDPD, adopted in 2011, is designed to address the root causes of the conflict in Darfur and its consequences, including power and wealth sharing, human rights, justice and reconciliation, compensation and return, and internal dialogue. Some groups claims the treaty is not comprehensive enough and refuse to sign it.In its meeting on 17 October, the AU Peace and Security Council requested the AU Commission and the UN Secretariat to “take advantage of the upcoming Unamid review to consider the challenges facing the Mission and the ways in which these could be overcome”.They also requested that the effectiveness of Unamid is enhanced, including the steps to be taken by all stakeholders to ensure the safety of its personnel and support to early recovery and development.Last week, four Unamid peacekeepers were killed in two separate attacks in Darfur. This brings to 13 the total amount of peacekeepers killed in the region in 2013 only.Members of the AU Peace and Security Council strongly call on the “Government of Sudan to demonstrate good faith by taking all necessary measures in order to urgently identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of those cowardly and criminal attacks against Unamid personnel and earlier attacks against the Mission.The Council “looks forward to an update by the Government of Sudan on the steps taken to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of these grave crimes, as well as to ensure the protection of Unamid personnel, bearing in mind its obligations.”It further reiterated its strong support to the the Mission and encouraged Unamid to “take all necessary steps to protect its personnel.”Next, the Council members expressed their appreciation for the efforts undertaken by the Joint Special Representative Unamid and Joint Chief Mediator Mohamed Ibn Chambas to facilitate an inclusive peace dialogue in Darfur, notably the consultations with rebel forces in Arusha, Tanzania, in August.However, the Council also expressed concern that “some of the armed groups have consistently rejected peace efforts and agreements with impunity and total disregard for the fate of the people they claim to be representing and the efforts of the international community.” The Council reiterated its call to “holdout groups to join the peace process without any further delay and without preconditions.” It stressed that the negotiation process cannot remain open-ended and it intends to take measures and recommend to the UN Security Council to do the same against those impeding the search for peace in Darfur.Related: Unamid Chief visits West Darfur to pay tribute to fallen peacekeepers (16 October 2013)Exclusive: Unamid head pleads for ‘lasting peace in Darfur’ (4 September 2013)Sudan rejects rebels’ plea for holistic talks (29 August 2013)