AFRICA/SUDAN - Sudanese President announces ceasefire in Darfour, however rebels do not comply

Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) - “I hereby announce our immediate unconditional ceasefire between the armed forces and the warring factions, provided that an effective monitoring mechanism is put into action and observed by all involved parties.” This was how, on November 12, Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir announced his intention to unilaterally detain the armed conflict in Darfour, asking that the rebels do the same.
The declaration of the Sudanese President was made after the conference held this past October 16, entitled the “Sudan People's Initiative,” which was attended by representatives from the central and regional government, South Sudan, and the opposition. Also present was Eritrea's President Isayas Afeworki, the only foreign Head of State who accepted the invitation to the Conference.
The rebels, however, rejected the offer made by the Sudanese President. “It is just a matter of public relations,” said a representative of the JEM (Justice and Equality Movement), one of the main rebel movements in Darfur.
In spite of the appreciation expressed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, various international observers say that Bashir's announcement is an attempt to find approval from the international community, in order to later avoid indictment on genocide charges, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, which was called for several months ago by General Prosecutor of the International Crime Court (ICC), Luis Moreno Ocampo (see Fides 15/7/2008). The President of Sudan is accused of having supported the pro-government militia “Janjaweed,” who are responsible for the atrocities committed against civilians. The various armed groups that oppose the government in Khartoum also committed crimes against civilians, say the humanitarian aid organizations working in the area.
According to the 2008 Population Report issued by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), since the beginning of the Darfur conflict, in 2003, over 200,000 people have been killed and over 2 million forced to flee their homes. A total of 4 million people are in need of humanitarian aid and protection, a protection which the UNAMID (the joint peacekeeping force formed by the UN and the African Union) has not been successful in guaranteeing, in part because of the fact that instead of the 26,000 men that were going to be sent in, for now only 10,000 have been able to be deployed. However, even with the UNAMID forces, the task will not be simple: control an area of 540,000 km sq. being occupied by the Sudanese army, the pro-government militia, and at least 15 local guerrilla bands, not to mention the armed groups of citizens.
The grave humanitarian crises of Darfur and North Kivu (eastern Congo), were recalled by Benedict XVI in his General Audience, with these words: “ Come, Lord...to the refugee camps, in Darfur and in North Kivu.” (LM) (Agencia Fides 13/10/2008)