DARFUR-DARFUR DIALOGUE AND CONSULTATION OFFICIALLY

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 002668 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/SPG, AF/RSA, AND S/CRS DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KPKO SOCI AU UN US SU SUBJECT: DARFUR-DARFUR DIALOGUE AND CONSULTATION OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED ¶1. Summary: The long-awaited Darfur-Darfur Dialogue and Consultation (DDDC),mandated by the May 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA),is finally off the ground. All participants in its inauguration agreed the DDDC was vital to the success of the DPA and broader efforts to restore the social fabric of Darfur. However, significant challenges lie in its path. End summary. ¶2. African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security Ambassador Said Djinnit formally launched the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) of the Darfur-Darfur Dialogue and Consultation in a ceremony on November 9 at Friendship Hall in Khartoum. Participants in the event included a wide spectrum of representatives from civil society, the AU, UN, Government of Sudan, and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM),as well as members of the diplomatic corps. -------------- DJINNIT: DDDC INTEGRAL TO DPA -------------- ¶3. In his opening remarks, Ambassador Djinnit hailed the DDDC as an integral mechanism with which to broaden the base of support for the Darfur Peace Agreement, promote reconciliation, and restore the social fabric of Darfur. Citing the DPA, he said that no agreement, by definition a compromise document, was perfect, but that it nonetheless represented a starting point. A resolution to the conflict in Darfur was vital not only to Sudan but to Africa broadly. He concluded by calling on Sudan to remain unified, a comment which drew wide applause. -------------- PREPCOM CHAIR: AUTONOMY CRITICAL -------------- ¶4. DDDC PrepCom Chair and author of the DDDC portion of the DPA Abdul Mohammad said that the DDDC would ensure a comprehensive and sustainable peace for the people of Darfur. However, autonomy, independence, and impartiality were critical to its success. Furthermore, the DDDC must be inclusive, creative, and flexible. The DDDC could not be used for tactical political advantage nor could the parties offer mere token participation. The role of youth and women were of particular importance. The DDDC held the promise of restoring the multi-ethnic, multi-religious character of Darfur. It was key to revitalizing indigenous institutions and making them compatible with modernity. African unity hinges on Sudan, the meeting place of Arab and black, Muslim and Christian. -------------- GOS: DDDC BACKBONE OF DPA -------------- ¶5. On behalf of the Government of Sudan, Presidential Advisor Majzoub al-Khalifa praised the launching of the PrepCom, said the DDDC was the backbone of the DPA (a mechanism non-existent in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement),and pledged continued support and cooperation with the AU. He cited the rich traditions of conflict resolution found within Darfurian society, noting that they were the subject of study at eminent educational institutions around the world, to include Harvard University. Khalifa called Sudan the melting pot of Africa. Furthermore, Darfur sits at the very heart of the continent, necessitating a resolution of the conflict in the name of greater African security. Khalifa concluded by calling on all parties to foreswear violence in order to allow dialogue to prosper. No representative of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Minni Minawi faction spoke at the event. ¶6. Comment: DDDC PrepCom Chair Abdul Mohammad concluded his remarks by quoting former South African President Nelson Mandela, who said that dialogue was difficult to start, even more difficult to sustain, and most difficult to implement. Herein lies the challenge before the parties to the conflict and their partners in the international community. End comment. HUME