EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/715

(2004/C 88 E/0735)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0877/04

by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(22 March 2004)

Subject: Conflict resolution in Sudan

The war in Sudan has cost millions of lives and displaced millions of people. There is now hope for an end to the conflict. The existence of an ‘honest broker’ at the peace talks would greatly contribute to their success. A peaceful settlement to the conflict in Sudan must engage all the peoples of Sudan, particularly those tribes that are remote from decision-making and the centres of power.

Would the Commission consider acting as an ‘honest broker’ at the peace talks? Would it agree to commit resources so as to achieve a successful and sustainable peace in the region?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(27 April 2004)

Peace talks between the Government of the Sudan and the SPLM/A (1) have been conducted intermittently under the auspices of the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) since 1993. Initially, observation was limited to representation from the Members of this regional organisation of the Horn of Africa, but since mid-2002, the group of observers was extended to the ‘Sudan Troika’ (Norway, United Kingdom, United States) and subsequently to the ‘extended Troika’, composed of Italy, Norway, United Kingdom, United States, the United Nations and the African Union. It is only under this format, which combines the immediate neighbours of the Sudan with some of the most important international players, that substantial progress has been made: During the last two years, a series of documents have been negotiated and they can be considered as ‘building blocks’ for a comprehensive agreement, notably the Machakos Protocol (20 July 2002), an agreement on security arrangements (25 September 2003), and an agreement on wealth sharing (7 January 2004). A Memorandum of Understanding on cessation of hostilities was signed on 18 November 2002, and since then, fighting has ended in Southern Sudan, with the exception of occasional skirmishes, mainly between pro-Government militia (SSDF) and the SPLM/A.

Experience in other conflicts has shown that it is often not a single ‘honest broker’, but the joint and coordinated involvement of the most important external stake-holders which makes a difference. The present format of the Sudan peace talks under IGAD auspices corresponds to this concept of comprehensive stake-holder involvement, and it has yielded significant results. The present structure of the peace process also foresees two phases, the first involving the two main belligerents and concluding with a global agreement, and the second involving all relevant political and social actors of the Sudan in a process of constitutional review and gradual democratisation. The second phase would take place during the six and a half year transition period.

No external involvement can be a substitute for the genuine willingness of the parties to achieve a peaceful settlement. The frequent stalemates in the Sudan peace process sometimes raise doubts about the existence of the necessary commitment to peace of the two main belligerents, the Government of the Sudan and the SPLM/A. The interested external actors will have to work with patience and apply sustained and measured pressure in order to move the negotiations forward.

The Commission is financially and politically supporting the IGAD peace process as well as the Verification and Monitoring Team, i.e. the mechanism established to monitor the cessation of hostilities (EUR 1,5 million from the Rapid Reaction Mechanism (RRM)). It is also considering supporting, through the RRM, the organisation of cease-fire talks among the belligerents of Darfur, Western Sudan, where a major armed conflict broke out early in 2003, initially in the shadow of the long-standing conflict in Southern Sudan, but recently escalating to the point where it has become the second most serious humanitarian crisis in the Horn and East Africa.

Development cooperation with the Sudan has been suspended since 1990, following the ‘coup d'Etat’ and the deterioration of the political and human rights situation. The resumption of cooperation is foreseen if and when a peace agreement is signed between the Government of the Sudan and the SPLM/A. However, preparatory activities are ongoing financed from various budget lines and in the framework of the ‘Humanitarian Plus’ Programme (EUR 18 million). Furthermore, two programme documents have been finalised, one for Rehabilitation and Capacity Building (EUR 52 million, 6th European Development Fund (EDF)) and another one financed from Stabex (EUR 191 million) with a focus on food security. These programmes, together with the 9th EDF allocation (EUR 135 million A envelope, EUR 20 million Β envelope), represent the ‘peace dividend’ that will be made available to the Sudan when a comprehensive peace agreement is signed and implemented.

(1) Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement and Sudan Peoples' Liberation Army.