PRESS BRIEFING ON SUDAN

PRESS BRIEFING ON SUDAN

Reports from the Sudan that many internally displaced persons had returned to their villages in Darfur because security had improved were contradicted by statements received from humanitarian workers and internally displaced persons, Francis Deng, the Secretary-General’s Representative on Internally Displaced Persons, said today as he briefed correspondents on his visit to the country.

He said that, while internally displaced persons (IDPs) generally felt safe in their camps, they were afraid to venture outside.  The humanitarian situation in the camps had much improved, although it was feared that access to the camps was still impeded by the general security situation.

During his visit, Mr. Deng had stressed his dual identity as the Secretary-General’s representative and a Sudanese.  He said that he had had “candid and intimate” discussions with Sudanese at all levels enabling him to explore the truth.  He had been accompanied by the Commissioner-General of the Sudanese Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), but his initial concern that the Commissioner-General’s presence would be intimidating had not been borne out.  On the contrary, the Commissioner-General had had a chance “to learn something from the field”.

In dealing with the Janjaweed, the Government faced the dilemma of branding as criminals those who had been supported by the Government in fighting the rebels.  However, he had found the Government to be quite receptive in cooperating with the international community under the umbrella of the African Union.  It was happy to have the African Union monitors and the force to protect the aid workers, and might even be receptive to have their mandate extended to protection of the civilian population.  That cooperation could give the Government cover to deal with the Janjaweed.  However, the Government also feared that dealing with the Janjaweed might create a power imbalance with regard to the rebels.  Serious negotiations with the rebels were needed to establish a sustainable ceasefire.

Although the problems in Darfur preoccupied the international community, they should be seen in the broader context of the situation in the Sudan, Mr. Deng said.  The experiences in the south had to be taken into account, including the positive fact that a settlement had been brokered with the strong support of the international community, in particular the “troika” of the United States, United Kingdom and Norway.

He said that the crises going on in the Sudan were symptoms of a country in search of itself.  Simplistically, the problems had been described as a conflict between the Christian and animist south, and the Arab, Muslim north.  Now, elements in the north, specifically non-Arab Muslims, were identifying themselves differently and rebelling to marginalization, similar to what had been going on in the south.  The choice for the Sudanese was either to resist that, which was non-sustainable, or to work with it constructively to help the nation “redefine a framework where every Sudanese, irrespective of race, ethnicity or culture, can feel a belonging and enjoy the unity in pluralism”, he said.  “These crises, painful as they are, are indicative of a process of nation-building that promises to foster the unity of the country.”

International pressure had prompted a positive response in the Government to work more closely with the international community in a more transparent way, he said, in answer to a correspondent’s question.  Progress had been made in the south.  The agreement reached there foresaw the possibility of extending some of its principles to Darfur.  One had to look at the problem holistically.

Referring to a statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Sudan that any foreign forces coming into the country would be attacked, a correspondent asked if the Minister was a “loose canon”, or spoke for the Government.  In answer, Mr. Deng said that the Sudanese made a distinction between the forces under the African Union umbrella and international use of force, such as could be brought under the United Nations Charter.  The latter situation would be resisted and might attract foreign Islamist, extremist elements.  The situation had to be handled carefully and constructively, in order to avoid complicating the situation in the country as a whole.

The Government of the Sudan welcomed the involvement of the African Union, he said.  If an international process would include an element of police training, the credibility of the national police would increase.  The mere presence of the forces would increase protection.  The fact that the African Union had stated that Darfur was an African problem to be solved by Africa had given the Government of the Sudan a cover, making the African Union more appealing to them, compared to the alternatives.  As a result, there was a good prospect for close cooperation with the Government.  The international community could do a lot to strengthen the African Union’s mandate, without being seen as intervening directly in a military sense.  The presence must be a “symbol of cooperation rather than intrusion”.

A correspondent asked if the situation in Iraq had made it more difficult for the international community to intervene in the Sudan.  Mr. Deng said involvement in Darfur should reinforce other efforts  that were going on in the country as a whole.  The United States had played a leading role in fostering peace in the south.  It would be difficult to see how countries that were working for peace in one part of the country could be confrontational in another part and expect to continue to play a constructive role in the peace process.  If Darfur was seen as an isolated case, the picture could be complicated and do harm in the country in the long run.

Asked if a “humanitarian catastrophe” had been avoided, he said it was difficult for him to comment on the humanitarian situation in areas he had not visited, but that complaints by internally displaced people and international aid workers indicated that the crisis was still quite severe.  The camps were congested and people used plastic sheets as shelter.  Those were not conditions under which one would voluntarily live.

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