A comprehensive report will be published shortly
Members of the APG visited Sudan between August 21st and August 29th 2007. The trip underscored the need for the internataional community to work with Sudan in the long term, to refocus its attention on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, and to devise a truly national strategy for its relations with Sudan.
The trip was a success and will be invaluable in helping to inform our Group's work of promoting in Westminster and in Whitehall the cause of peace, human rights, justice and development for all the people in Sudan. It could not have taken place without the support, logistical assistance, and input of our many partners and friends, and for this, we are very grateful.
The delegation was truly cross party, including Susan Kramer MP (LD), Mark Lancaster (C), and myself (L). We also took with us the new UK Special Representative for Sudan, Michael O'Neill, and it was a particular pleasure to have the chance to take him to Juba in South Sudan.
The delegation met with high level political figures, NGO representatives, civil society leaders, displaced populations, and 'host' communities in each location, and brings home a wealth of information that will inform its report, due shortly for publication. The delegation personally delivered its impressions to the Minister for Africa, Lord Malloch Brown, on Wednesday 5th September, ahead of his visit to the country, and secured a debate on the subject of CPA implementation.
In particular, the group developed the following clear concerns:
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Grassroots trust in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is dwindling. With elections due in 2009 a cornerstone of the CPA, it is vital that pressure is refocused on all parties to the agreement to ensure that implementation of the CPA is brought back on track. There is an urgent need for mediation with regards all three protocols. It is clear the raising the profile of the CPA across Westminster and Whitehall, and helping HMG play as constructive a role as possible on the CPA, is a real priority
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Within South Sudan expectations have not been met vis a vis basic services and this is weakening support for the CPA. International donor mechanisms need to be reviewed to ensure that they are a capable of meeting this demand, and the Government of South Sudan needs to put more emphasis on providing services to its population. Furthermore, the lack of basic services is exacerbating South-South tension at a time when reconciliation is urgently needed. Both GoSS and the international community must prioritise a process of south-south dialogue.
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Although some progress has been made on uniting the rebel groups in Darfur, more time and effort needs to be put into involving other key stakeholders, including civil society, traditional leaders, women, militia armed by GoS and those in displaced camps. At it stands, fragmentation remains the order of the day and the AU-UN is in grave danger of repeating the mistakes of the past.
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Expectations on the ground are huge ahead of the deployment of UNAMID but little is understood as to what is actually coming and how it will affect lives. The force must be clear on its rules of engagement right from the start, and it must be adequately resourced. The delegation also return with significant concerns regarding the impact of the force on humanitarian space.
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There can be no long term solution to the instability in Darfur without a regional response. A negotiated settlement to the governance crisis in Chad and Deby's consent for the proposed EU force should be critical objectives for the international community.
- The delegation became increasingly concerned about the recent constriction of political space in Sudan and urges the Government of Sudan to cease harassment of journalists, remove restrictions on local media, release political prisoners, and reform laws that continue to contradict the CPA and the interim constitution.
Whilst in Sudan, the delegation presented these, and other, messages through South Sudan TV, Juba Radio, the Citizen and Sudan Tribune newspapers, Reuters relief-web, Gurtong project, Sudan TV, as well as through quite a number of other media outlets.
David Drew MP, Chair, Associate Parliamentary Group on Sudan
