PEACE TALKS BETWEEN THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT AND DARFUR REBELS
PEACE TALKS BETWEEN THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT AND DARFUR REBELS
The Geneva's Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue will organise negotiations between rebel groups in Darfur and the Sudanese government in order to provide access of the humanitarian aid to civilian population to those areas in Darfur which have been inaccessible to foreigners since 2003 due to the war in this Sudanese province. The first meeting where the senior humanitarian adviser of the HD Centre, Dennis McNamara, and the humanitarian coordinator of the leading JEM resistance group (Justice and Equality Movement), Suleiman Jamous, will negotiate for the list of representatives of other rebel groups will be held tomorrow on 11th of June in a villa at the Lake of Geneva.
The humanitarian coordinator for Darfur's largest rebel group, Suleiman Jamous, officially arrived to Europe at the invitation of the new Slovenian non-governmental organisation H.O.P.E. For the purpose of his visit, he obtained a visa for the Schengen area by the assistance of the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Together with Tomo Križnar, the former emissary of the late Slovenian President, dr. Janez Drnovšek, Suleiman Jamous first reported previous month to the Committee on Foreign Policy within the Slovenian Parliament on perils of the outbreak of a new world war between superpowers which will start – in case the global community does not take action – according to his opinion in the largest African country. Both, the coalition and the opposition deputies responded by promising to propose to the government to supply the families under the supervision of rebels and whose lives are threatened by the thirst due to climate changes and general decay of the social tissue with a drilling installation for the search for water and to support the “video surveillance” in camps and front lines by using the system of miniature video cameras, portable computers and the satellite internet. Unlike the minister in office during the winter of 2006 when “The World for Darfur” humanitarian action was launched by the then President, dr. Janez Drnovšek, the concept was also supported by the present Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, Samuel Žbogar. The latter also bind himself to promote the new Slovenian initiative in all EU fora and to the rest of 26 ministers of foreign affairs. On the 18th of May, the two humanitarians within the organisation of the deputy Ivo Vajgl addressed the EU representatives in Strasbourg as well. The major impression made the Jamous’s statement saying that the system of miniature video cameras by which Klemen Mihelič and Tomo Križnar equipped the women in camps and on battlefields proves to have more effect than 20,000 soldiers of the African Union under the UNO helmets. Mercenaries hired by the Sudanese government who rape women in order to exile the aboriginal Africans systematically are more than anything afraid of being recorded at their act with the most treacherous weapon. At places where it is believed that the cameras were installed, no reports on new rapes have been recorded since December.
After the confrontation with Jamous on 18th of May, the politician from Luxembourg, Charles Goerens, required from the European Parliament to answer his question why does the EU support the re-election of the President of Sudan, Omar Bashir, who has been the President for 21 years now and who is being pursued by the Hague Court due to a charge of the four major crimes against humanity. He has not received an official response to this day.
Yesterday, the two humanitarian activists demonstrated to the new Czech government and the Havel’s Forum 2000 Foundation the dangers of an outbreak of war in the country which will in January decide by a referendum on whether to split off its southern part which will be followed by dire consequences including for the EU which is already being besieged by refugees. The contact was enabled by the Slovenian embassy in Prague. The Executive Director of the Foundation, Mr. Cherny, offered to the coordinator of the rebels to appear on the regular meeting in October which is annually attended by several important global sponsors and decision makers.
The same as on every occasion, Tomo Križnar also here gave away for free to all participants a DVD containing the awarded documentary feature “Dar Fur – War for Water” which was produced in collaboration with Maja Weiss and activated civil society of Slovenia to establish a new humanitarian organisation H.O.P.E. which opposes rapes and death in Darfur without its members and supporters making profit.
Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue is a non-governmental organisation funded through resources by private donators.
This will be the first opportunity for a meeting between the rebels and the Sudanese government since the JEM rebels did not return to negotiations in Doha, Qatar, on 15th of May because the global community accused the Sudan’s dictator, Omar al Bashir, of falsifying the last presidential election. In the meanwhile, the war which is being ignored by the global media and monitored only by the Chinese miniature cameras at the price of 10 euro, continues. Every day, the Sudanese army bombards villages and wells; the rebels which were in the middle of May refused hospitality by the president of the neighbouring country Chad, Idris Debby, due to an agreement with the Sudanese President on the stabilisation of conditions in the region, can access the arms only by attacking government forces. Thus, they captured three tanks and shot down a helicopter the last week.
Tomo Križnar, Prague, 10th June 2010