DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE MOUNTS ON SUDAN

A flurry of diplomatic visits and pressure on Sudan to act on Darfur occurred this week. Various envoys to Darfur or Sudan from the United States, the United Nations, the African Union (AU), and civil society groups conducted diplomatic missions to secure adequate protection for the people of Darfur and jump-start the political peace process.

The U.N. Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Darfur, Jan Eliasson, traveled to Darfur this week to help build momentum for a renewed political process and continue to negotiate a hybrid AU-U.N. peacekeeping force for Darfur. Eliasson will consult with the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia before heading to Khartoum to meet with Sudanese officials. Eliasson's trip is a part of a renewed push for peace talks by the United Nations and African Union. Also this week, the African Union Envoy to Darfur, Salim Ahmed Salim, re-iterated the African Union's position that there can be no military solution to the crisis in Darfur.

Andrew Natsios, the U.S. Envoy to the Sudan, traveled to Beijing this week to encourage China to act positively on Darfur.  China has a close economic relationship with Khartoum and supports the Sudan's oil industry and has been said to supply Sudan with arms as well. China can play a critical role in pressuring Khartoum to live up to its commitments in the Darfur Peace Agreement and to fulfill its commitment to disarm the janjaweed.

Former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and current New Mexico governor, Bill Richardson, also traveled to Khartoum this week with the Save Darfur Coalition to meet with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to convince him to accept a hybrid AU-U.N. force for Darfur. Richardson also met with rebel groups on Tuesday, January 9 to call for a 60-day ceasefire and renewed peace talks with the Sudanese government. As a result of multiple meetings with Bashir this week, Richardson and the Save Darfur Coalition released a press statement about the agreements Richardson and Bashir reached during Richardson's visit to Sudan.

Among the most notable agreements, President Bashir and non-signatory rebel groups have agreed to a 60-day ceasefire, and  President Bashir said he would allow journalists into Darfur and recommit to disarming the janjaweed.

Amidst all the diplomatic activity, violence in Chad has increased in the past two weeks. As a result of sporadic violence between Chadian rebels and government forces, over 20,000 Chadians have been displaced. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir continues to state that U.N. troops are not needed for Darfur despite his acceptance of a hybrid AU-U.N. peacekeeping force in a letter to former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in December 2006.

The new U.N. Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, will attend an African Union summit on Darfur at the end of January.

+ DARFUR RESOURCE CENTER
 

Updated January 10, 2007