Sudan Remains Firmly Committed: the Challenge is Securing the Cooperation of Other Stakeholders

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by the Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan:

The warning issued by President Obama on Monday, that it would increase pressure on Sudan if the latter fails to respond to efforts geared towards securing peace in Darfur, is unwarranted and misplaced. The remarks dismiss the basic realities on the ground and ignore fundamental facts on this key question: How to bring about a lasting peace in Darfur. It is important and fair to note that the Sudanese Government has been the only stakeholder to consistently exert tremendous efforts towards the total resolution of the conflict, while the others, integral to this process, scoff and blatantly refuse to engage, a posture and an attitude reinforced by the severe lack of the necessary accountability at the level of the international community.  The Government has, by all accounts, taken part in all the initiatives that have thus far been conceived internationally, domestically and regionally, and has even signed agreements from which the rebels later on reneged. The Government remains the only party fully committed to peace as it recognizes that we the Sudanese are the sole beneficiaries of a positive outcome.  

The initiatives and bona fide efforts of various actors including the U.S. special envoy aimed at building a consensus among the numerous rebel groups have been frustrated and the splintering of the rebel groups continues unabated to where we have countless factions marauding on the ground today. This is where the crux of the problem lies. For if there is no unity between the rebels, if there is no shared vision for Darfur that unites them, peace will surely remain elusive. The latest of these initiatives are the imminent Doha talks, international efforts that will also attempt to address this fundamental issue. They come at a time when the country has reached significant milestones on various fronts, among those being CPA, the elections and the relative peace in Darfur, making this moment particularly opportune for success in Darfur. Yet even then, this noble gesture is already facing ridicule from some of the rebels who have promptly declared their non-participation. This not only exposes the real culprit behind the menacing insecurity, it also demonstrates the complete lack of will from the rebels to finding a solution to the problem.

It is therefore unfortunate that the President's Statement will send the wrong signal to the rebels who are now emboldened because of the obvious implication that the burden of solving the problem of Darfur lies squarely on the Government of Sudan; that the U.S. government sees the Sudan Government as the primary obstacle to peace, and consequently the rebels will not have an impetus to enter into any talks that anyone might try to initiate in the future. Peace building takes a concerted effort and isn't the responsibility of a single party. The world must come to hold those who obstruct peace efforts to account and this is the only way to secure the genuine efforts from all concerned. Sudan calls, as it always has, for the positive and constructive engagement of the international community and welcomes all the help the United States has to offer.

CONTACT: Embassy of Sudan Press and Information Office, +1-202-338-8565, or fax: +1-202-667-2406

SOURCE Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan