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Contributions from
the Column
Monitor
Sudan: fragmented and neglected
IMF: US pushes for refom of voting rights
Good grades for German Technical Cooperation
10th Bremen Solidarity Prize
World Press Photo 2005
Wolfowitz’ difficulties at the World Bank
US administration modifies development approach
UN peacekeepers accused of corruption
Cooperative without Borders treads new paths
Afghanistan: new support and old criticism
03/2006
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[ Sudan ]
Fragmented and neglected
A fragile peace reigns in the south, the situation in the east is tense, and in the west of the country, in Darfur, a war is raging, which is estimated to have cost up to 200,000 lives in the past three years. But, according to Pekka Haavisto, the conflicts in Sudan should not be viewed in isolation from one another. At a panel discussion held by the Joint Conference Church and Development (GKKE) and the German Society for the United Nations (DGVN) in mid-February in Berlin, the EU Special Representative for Sudan said that the people in Darfur feel excluded from national wealth and political influence, and are fighting back. In the west of Sudan, a neglected region is rebelling, demanding its share of the country’s wealth, especially in view of substantial oil revenues. Moreover, should peace in the south collapse, then the rebels in Darfur would no longer have any incentive to negotiate. Haavisto demanded that the European Union and China define a joint line of action to prevent the conflict from escalating further into a war with Chad.
Gerhart Baum, UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Sudan until 2003, also feels the developments in the south and west of the country are interrelated. According to him, the escalation in Darfur was foreseeable and could have been prevented, but everyone was focussing on the north-south peace process, in which the USA was especially active. Baum demands more international commitment for Darfur. In his view, the only measure of success is whether the lives of the people have improved there. However, that is not the case despite many efforts. The refugees still cannot return home. Baum feels the German government, among others, should provide soldiers to protect them.
Marina Peter of the ecumenical network Sudan Focal Point highlights tensions within Sudan and says there is a lack of trust between the individual regions. In her view, it must be made clear that at the end of the day, everyone will benefit from peace in the country. German commitment is welcome in the region, she maintains, because it is not motivated by self-interest.
Gernot Erler, junior minister in the German Foreign Office, stresses that the German government does not want the international community to withdraw from southern Sudan just because there is now a peace accord. Rather, the realisation of the accord must be safeguarded. However, he demands that the Sudanese government use oil revenues to fund the process. In view of the country’s potential wealth, he no longer sees any justification for spending tax payers’ money from rich countries.
Sabine Grund
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