• Home

Darfur conflict is not a local one

He said the violence in Darfur has been specifically targeting innocent civilians, with over 1,200 villages in the area put to torch in the first three months of the conflict which resulted in 110,000 refugees fleeing across the border to Chad.

He said the Khartoum government responded by closing the area off, retarded the distribution of aid materials and moved large numbers of armed forces into the area, which led the international community to place extraordinary pressures on the government. He said the result was that out of the 4,000 villages in Darfur, the people in the area sought refuge in six major cities, which resulted in overcrowding. “People are afraid of going back to their homes for lack of security,” he added.

Dr Al Tijani also highlighted the desperate humanitarian plight of people in the region, with mortality rates among refugees high and with a 30 per cent shortfall in necessary aid as well as a lack of basic services.

He said although the Khartoum government increased the number of police personnel in the area, attacks on citizens increased, which prompted the UN Security Council to issue resolution 1556 which calls on the government in Sudan to take measures to stop the Janjaweet malitia in Darfur. That resolution was followed by resolution 1564, which again obliges the government to take steps to stop the militia in Darfur otherwise measures will be taken against the government.

“There are 1,750,000 refugees in camps, mostly farmers who plant the land, produce the food and sell the surplus in the market. These refugees want to go home, but in their burnt-out villages they would be attacked as there is a lack of security. Therefore, there is a need to restore security,” Dr Al Tijani said, adding the situation is not a simple internal struggle between the Arab and non-Arab tribes.

While the issue of security is not a major hurdle in talks and negotiations, it does seem there are parties involved who do not want security restored, he said, adding that the situation has been further complicated by resolution 1564, which has left no more room for manoeuvering.

Dr Mariam Sadeq Al Mahdi, Secretary-General of Al Ummah Party in Sudan, also addressed the meeting and highlighted the complications of the Darfur situation that has been internationalised and is now being discussed by foreign governments as a matter of immediate concern.

She said the most pressing issue in Sudan is how to stop the war and arrive at a just peace for all parties involved. The current situation threatens the country with disintegration, she added.

Dr Mariam called for a fair distribution of resources and development to all parts of Sudan, as the marginalised areas are denied their fair share. She further called for a constitution, a government and public services that incorporate the wide diversity of the country and represent all the people of Sudan.

• UAE