----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Volk" <joevolk@fcnl.org>
To: "Miriam Vieni" <miriamvieni@optonline.net>
Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 5:41 PM
Subject: Darfur: First Steps Towards Peace - FCNL
The signing of a peace agreement between the Sudanese government and
one of the primary rebel groups in the Darfur region of Sudan may be
a significant first step toward ending a modern-day genocide. This
week, Congress is expected to approve $173 million in supplemental
funding to support African Union (AU) peacekeepers already operating in
Darfur. Last month the United Nations initiated the process to bring UN
peacekeepers into the region. The U.S. and the international community
should maintain a focused, consistent, high-level involvement designed
to promote a lasting, comprehensive peace in Sudan.
*The Darfur Peace Agreement â?" A Step in the Right Direction*
After a period of intense negotiations, two deadline extensions, and
significant international engagement â?" including a last-minute
intervention by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick â?"
the Darfur peace agreement was signed on May 5, 2006, by
representatives from the government of Sudan and from one of the
primary rebel groups in Darfur, the Sudanese Liberation Movement/Army
(SLM/A). The signing of the peace agreement represents a significant
first step toward ending violence in the region and creating the
conditions for a sustainable peace in Darfur. To learn more about the
key elements of the peace agreement, go to:
http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=1883&issue_id=104
However, more needs to be done to ensure a long-term peace in the region.
The Dafur peace agreement is fragile. The peace process was not
perfect, and questions remain about how to implement key elements of
the agreement in a way that addresses the legitimate concerns of all
involved. One month after the agreement was signed, representatives
from two other rebel groupsâ?"an important rival faction of the
SLM/A, and the smaller Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)â?"have
yet to sign on. Ongoing violence, including cross-border violence with
Chad, continues to destabilize the region. The Sudanese government
recently agreed to allow a joint United Nations-African Union mission
into the country to assess the requirements for a possible UN
operation in Darfur, but it has not consented to an actual UN
peacekeeping mission in Darfur.
While the challenges are daunting, hope remains. The international
community is more focused on Darfur than it ever has been before.
Sustaining that involvement will be vital to securing any future peace.
The peace agreement was never intended to be an
â?oendâ?� to the process of building peace in Darfur;
rather, it marks the beginning of a new opportunity to address the root
causes of the conflict and to move toward a comprehensive peace in
Sudan.
*Implications for Congress*
The United States and the international community will need to invest
considerable diplomatic and financial resources in all aspects of the
ongoing peace processâ?"humanitarian, political, and
securityâ?"lest Darfurâ?Ts best chance for peace collapse once
more into large-scale conflict.
Support Peacekeeping: Today, African Union peacekeepers are the only
presence on the ground protecting civilians and helping to ensure the
implementation of the Darfur peace agreement. The House and the Senate
both have approved FY06 supplemental appropriations bills containing
$173 million to sustain and strengthen the AU peacekeeping force. The
two bills now need to be reconciled and a final bill containing the
full $173 million approved by Congress.
Assist Victims of the Conflict: Beyond funding peacekeepers, the U.S.
should continue to aid the victims of the conflict by providing
essential humanitarian assistance. The presidentâ?Ts fiscal year
2007 budget request includes $137.5 million to fund ongoing
humanitarian activities in Darfur. The House is expected to vote on
the foreign operations bill containing this amount later this week; the
Senate has yet to begin its work on the bill. Members of Congress
need to appropriate at least $137.5 million for ongoing humanitarian
activities in Darfur.
Read FCNLâ?Ts recommendations for building a sustainable peace in
Darfur
http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=1695&issue_id=104
*Preventing the Next Darfur: The Peaceful Prevention of Deadly Conflict*
In addition to engaging in Darfur, the U.S. should also develop tools
to address similar crises in the future.
Another Darfur is not inevitable. By challenging how people think
about conflictâ?"namely, shifting from a pattern of reaction to a
paradigm of preventionâ?"the U.S. can help build the capacity to
quickly and effectively respond to emerging crises before they erupt
into major conflicts and humanitarian disasters. To help prevent the
next Darfur, the U.S. should commit significant resources to enhancing
dialogue between societies, preventing the continuance and re-emergence
of violence, and assisting in the creation of states with
representative governance based on the rule of law and with widely
available economic opportunity, protection of fundamental human rights,
and strong civil societies.
Find out more about the peaceful prevention of deadly conflict and
resources you can use to advance it on FCNLâ?Ts website:
http://www.fcnl.org/ppdc/
*See Uniting Darfurâ?Ts Rebels: A Prerequisite for Peace, a report
by the International Crisis Group, for more details:
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3723&l=1.
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