UK’s Seven Steps For Peace In Sudan

UK’s Seven Steps For Peace In Sudan

UK/Sudan/Peace : 02/07

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UK's Seven Steps For Peace In Sudan

From: FCO

The UK government is calling on the government of Sudan to commit itself to an action plan improve the deplorable situation in the country. It has proposed seven steps for peace in Sudan.

In an introduction to the seven steps the Foreign Office said: "Sudan is a priority for the UK in 2006. We want a Sudan which is peaceful, democratic and prosperous, which respects human rights and the rule of law; which successfully pursues poverty reduction

and the Millennium Development Goals; and which is a positive influence in the region and the international community – including in the fight against terror.

"We want to work with the Government of Sudan to achieve these goals. The UK is doing its utmost, with international partners, to help and especially to alleviate the terrible suffering of the people of Darfur. But the Government of Sudan must play its part too. We call upon the Government to take the following steps to assure the UK and the international community that it is serious in tackling these problems".

Seven steps for peace in Sudan

1. Improve security in Darfur
• Ensure full compliance by the GoS and all allied forces with provisions of the N’djamena ceasefire agreement, the Abuja Security and Humanitarian

protocols and the UN Security Council Resolutions

§ Actively investigate all attacks and thefts: arrest culprits and bring them to justice. Take steps to disarm the "Janjaweed", as required in UNSCR 1591

§ Publicly announce that all attacks and raids by the "Janjaweed", Arab militias and current and former allies of the Government are as unacceptable as are such attacks by rebel movements.

§ If further such attacks occur, denounce them publicly Take steps to disarm Chadian rebels operating in Darfur, and close any facilities they have there.

§ Ensure no armed groups cross any part of the Sudan-Chad border.

2. Sign a peace agreement for Darfur >
• Take the initiative to achieve a breakthrough at Abuja, by putting a good settlement offer on the table and by working actively to overcome the reservations of the rebels.
• Establish personal relationships with the heads of the rebel delegations, and their chief negotiators, at Abuja, with the aim of achieving a quick agreement there
• Look for and carry out other confidence-building measures.

3. Fully implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
• Be proactive in making unity attractive to all people in Sudan
• Fully integrate the SPLM and other parties which have joined the Government into all levels of it; fully include such parties in decision-making processes.
• Publish data on oil revenues, and ensure proper allocation of these between north and south in accordance with the CPA .
• Publicly announce the Government’s acceptance of the findings of the Abyei Boundaries Commission, and implement these.
• Form the Joint Integrated Units and redeploy troops in line with the provisions of the CPA.

4. A peace agreement with the Eastern Front.
• Make an attractive offer to kickstart the peace talks in Sirte
• Establish personal relationships with top members of the Eastern Front delegation to the talks, with the aim of facilitating a quick agreement .
• Look for and carry out other confidence-building .measures

5. Assist the peacekeeping forces in Sudan.
• Publicly state Sudan’s willingness for AMIS to give way to a UN force. Impose no preconditions about the type of UN force to be deployed.
• Fully cooperate with the UN and the AU in the transition from AMIS to a UN force, including by agreeing a Status of Mission Agreement with the UN .
• Finalise AMIS’ Status of Mission Agreement as quickly as possible.
• Stop obstructing the import and transport of AMIS equipment.
• Exempt AMIS from the curfew in El Fasher to allow it.to carry out patrols in IDP camps.
• Keep airfields open until full darkness, and allow AMIS to fly at night as needed.

6. Give full assistance to the provision of humanitarian aid:
• Stop GoS uniformed or armed forces using white vehicles and aircraft; this places humanitarian agencies at significant risks, and shows a clear disregard for generally understood humanitarian principles.
• Extend the current moratorium on visas, travel permits etc for NGOs in Darfur until the end of 2006 to ensure effective implementation of humanitarian activities .
• Stop the harassment of NGOs by the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) through imposing penalties such as removing travel permits and revoking visas to organisations who do not provide them with information beyond the legally required levels
• Drop plans to pass the proposed NGO law, which includes provisions that will have a serious impact on NGOs ability to operate.

7. End the climate of impunity in Darfur, including by co-operating with the CC, and ensure full respect for human rights across Sudan.

• Full co-operation with the International Criminal Court’s investigation in Darfur, as per your obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1593: granting access for investigators to individuals and documents as requested.
• Take steps to become a state party to Rome Statute on the International Criminal Court;
• Ensure that the Government’s action plan to eliminate sexual violence is fully implemented throughout Darfur and that perpetrators of sexual violence are brought to justice.
• Ratify international human rights treaties, the Convention Against Torture (CAT), and the Convention on the Elimination of all for of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
• Fully respect the human rights provisions in the CPA and Interim Constitution, and in particular end the harassment of local human rights activists.
• Fully respect the right to freedom of _expression for individuals and the media.
• Take steps to disarm members of foreign militias and of armed groups, including the LRA, and apprehend individuals subject to arrest warrants of the International Criminal Court.