Peace Talks on Darfur Scheduled for October

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, currently in Africa discussing the need for peace in the region, announced on Thursday that peace talks have been scheduled for October 27 between the Sudanese government and Darfur rebel movements.  The north African state of Libya agreed to host the meeting after its leader, Muammar Gadaffi, met with Ban to discuss Libya’s role as a mediator in the peace conference. 

In announcing the conference, Ban stated: “[t]hey have the experience … (and) we’d like to have such mediating role fully used, but I’d like to make it again clear that this is going to be (an) African Union-UN leading role.”   Ban and Sudan’s president Omar al-Bashir announced the venue and date in a joint communication following their discussions in Khartoum.

Libya’s role in the upcoming peace conference is another step towards their goal of re-emerging on the world state after years of being ostracized for alleged sponsorship of terrorism and the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction.  Gadaffi has long promoted African solutions to African problems and has hosted several meetings among the rebel groups and has tried to seek peace between neighbors Chad and Sudan.

Meanwhile, Chad has offered to assist the peace process by offering the rebel leaders a place to meet before the October 27 conference in order to “smooth over the rough edges” prior to negotiations.   Chad foreign minister stated that his country has offered to help because they are victims of Darfur crisis too.  The UN has estimated that there are 236,000 Darfur refugees in Chad and another 173,000 Chadians have been made refugees in their own country.   

The peace conference is hoped to end a four-year conflict that has become one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and sparked US accusations of genocide.  International experts estimate that 200,000 people have died and over 2 million have been displaced from their homes.   

In July, the UN Security Council approved a joint AU-UN peacekeeping force of 26,000 troops.  Ban has been working to get the troops deployed as soon as possible, but it is estimated that they will not arrive until early next year.  On Thursday, China announced that they will send 300 engineering troops to the Darfur region next month to build infrastructure for the peacekeepers.  China will also donate more than $10 million in humanitarian aid for Darfur, and Chinese firms involved in business in Sudan are also planning to give millions in aid. 

For more information, please see:

Reuters Africa - UN's Ban visits Libya to spur action on Darfur – 8 September 2007

International Herald Tribune - UN chief looking for real solution to Darfur conflict in Libya trip – 7 September 2007

AllAfrica.com - Darfur Peace Talks Set for 27 October in Libya – 7 September 2007

New York Times - Chad Says It Will Help U.N,'s Darfur Peace Plan – 8 September 2007

Al Jazeera - Chad backs UN efforts on Darfur – 7 September 2007

Reuters Africa - China to send troops to Darfur, meet critics – 7 September 2007

International Herald Tribune - China's envoy for Darfur defends his government's efforts to stop violence in Darfur region – 6 September 2007