The Sudanese government of Umar Hasan al-Bashir this week suffered a blow from leading human rights watchdogs, adding to the growing international fear that the president is not serious about achieving peace in Africa’s largest country.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said it had documentary proof that the Sudanese government was directing the recruitment, arming and support of the Janjaweed militia attacking the population in western Darfur.
Al-Bashir has not hidden his support for the Arab Janjaweed fighting the rebel Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in Darfur. But he has dismissed claims that he is arming the militia as a Western media conspiracy to paint a picture of ethnic cleansing of the local African population.
HRW said its documents show that Al-Bashir’s government not only condoned, but specifically supported the militia and that attacks are continuing daily despite African Union attempts to bring peace.
The second report, from Amnesty International, accused the Janjaweed of using rape as a military weapon.
The United Nations and the AU have both sent investigation teams to Darfur and neither has been able to exonerate Al-Bashir of the ethnic cleansing accusations.
More than a million people have been displaced and tens of thousands killed by the Janjaweed.
Sixty-two AU military observers — 10 of these from South Africa — have been deployed in Darfur. Such is the volatility of the situation that a force of 300 Africans was sent this week to protect the observers.
AU Commission president Alpha Oumar Konare said the force would also safeguard civilians under threat.
African diplomats in Addis Ababa say Al-Bashir wants to use the instability in Darfur and the increasing tension in the Upper Nile region as a pretext for delaying elections — they claim he cannot win.
AU-sponsored peace talks in Addis Ababa last weekend broke down when the rebel groups said Al-Bashir was not serious about curbing the Janjaweed.
The Sudanese government shows no interest whatsoever in addressing the development issues that lie at the heart of instability in Darfur.
The rebels are also seeking government commitments to respect previous agreements, allow an international inquiry into the killings, prose-cute those responsible, lift restrictions on humanitarian workers and release political prisoners.
Most of the rebels’ demands were contained in a widely ignored ceasefire deal signed in April with the government. However, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail said his government needs more time to implement its Darfur commitments.
The formation of the SLM and JEM arose from the success of the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement/Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLM/SPLA) in southern Sudan. The SPLM and the Sudanese government are engaged in a separate peace process under which the SPLM/SPLA will control southern Sudan for six years with guaranteed development funds from the government. After the transitional period, a referendum will be held on whether the south is to stay part of Sudan.
The SLM and JEM believe they would need to take up arms to achieve a similar goal.
In fact, Al-Bashir’s negotiations with the SPLM/SPLA have not been motivated by a desire to bring peace to his country but by direct pressure from the United States.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell has visited Sudan to pass on the message that if Al-Bashir doesn’t make peace, he will face further sanctions.
The Sudanese are in no doubt that, as an emerging oil-rich state, they can expect the world’s last remaining superpower to make good on its threats.