Sudanese Government, Rebels Hold Key to Peace in Darfur
03 May 2006
Deputy Secretary Zoellick in Abuja, Nigeria, promoting peace in Sudan
By Charles W. Corey
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- The government of Sudan and the Sudanese rebel leaders are faced with the decision of whether to embrace peace -- they are the ones who "hold the keys" to a solution to the crisis that grips Darfur, says State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.
McCormack told reporters May 3 that the United States, under the close direction of Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick, is working with other nations to bring the parties to an agreement at the Darfur peace talks under way in Abuja, Nigeria.
Those involved in the talks describe the atmosphere as one where the parties want to come to an agreement, McCormack said. Now it is a matter of "transferring that will, that desire into reality," the spokesman told reporters.
Zoellick already has held a number of meetings since arriving in Abuja, McCormack said. The deputy secretary has met with the Sudanese delegation and with African Union (AU) mediators, whom the spokesman praised for doing "terrific work" trying to bring the parties together.
Additionally, Zoellick has met with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is "deeply engaged" in the talks. Zoellick also might meet later with the chairman of the African Union Commission and former Malian President, Alpha Oumar Konare, according to McCormack.
Additionally, the spokesman said, a broad array of African leaders is now traveling to Abuja. "There is intense international interest to bring pressure to bear on the parties to come to an agreement," McCormack said. He again said the Sudanese government and rebels "are the ones that hold the keys" to an agreement.
Asked if Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made any telephone calls May 3 in regard to Sudan which would be similar to President Bush's call to Sudanese President Umar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir May 2, the spokesman said Rice stands "absolutely ready" to make whatever phone calls might be needed to help bring the Sudanese parties to an agreement.
When asked about the enforcement of any such agreement that might be reached in Abuja, the spokesman acknowledged that enforcement is "very important. The first step is getting to a piece of paper that outlines a common understanding," he said.
INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION HELPING TO FOCUS NEGOTIATIONS
Asked about intense international pressure now being brought to bear on the parties in Abuja, the spokesman said that international attention tends to focus the efforts and energies of those involved in the negotiations.
"Our hope is that the presence of the international community, including Deputy Secretary Zoellick and representatives of the AU, will have a positive effect. It is not pressure in the negative sense but in the positive sense of helping them come to an agreement, bridge their differences, offer suggestions. But ultimately, they are the ones that are going to have come to an agreement. "
The spokesman called the attention from the international community at this stage in the talks a "positive sign … so we would hope that if there is an agreement, that that level of interest and effort is reflected in the implementation of the agreement."
Asked if a special envoy should be named to Sudan as some members of Congress have suggested, the spokesman said the U.S. government has had a special envoy in the past.
"Right now Deputy Secretary Zoellick is really the point person in terms of the diplomacy on this issue. He is deeply involved in it," McCormack said.
Zoellick is working with a broad array of senior officials, he said, "so there is high level attention to this," in addition to a deep interest on the part of Secretary of State Rice and President Bush, who has had an interest in Sudan since the early days of his administration.
McCormack told reporters Zoellick will make the decision in consultation with Rice and Bush on what, if any, next steps need to be taken by the United States on the negotiations.
DARFUR REMAINS “HIGH PRIORITY” FOR PRESIDENT, WHITE HOUSE SAYS
White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters at the May 3 White House press briefing that the "deterioration and human suffering in Darfur have been a high priority" for the president.
He told reporters that during a telephone talk with President Bashir, Bush urged Bashir to accept the transition of an African Union mission to a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur, to accept a NATO supportive role and to send Sudanese Vice President Taha back to the peace talks to help finalize a peace agreement.
Speaking to reporters May 3 at a press opportunity with the Japanese foreign minister in Washington, Rice said of the Abuja talks, "I hope the parties will take this opportunity to get a peace agreement and lay a foundation for which the violence can end and so that the people of Darfur can be safe and live in peace.”
For additional information, see Darfur Humanitarian Emergency.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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