Last week I spent a couple of days in Doha for the donors’ conference on Darfur. The conference provided an opportunity for the international community to gather with the Government of Sudan and the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) to consider how to tackle the next stages of development in Darfur.
There was a lot of common ground. Most importantly, the conference endorsed the Darfur Development Strategy (DDS), pulled together by the DRA with the support of the United Nations, World Bank and a range of development partners. Critically, the people of Darfur themselves identified the priorities that direct the DDS. It’s an ambitious strategy that deserves support.
There was general recognition of a number of positive developments concerning Darfur. We and others particularly welcomed the recent progress in implementation of the agreements between Sudan and South Sudan. Both sides are drawing their forces back from the border and the demilitarised zone, and the verification and monitoring mission is deploying. Oil is beginning to flow.
Since the conference, President Bashir has visited Juba, signalling a significant improvement in relations. Progress is good and, if continued, will bring benefits to both countries and has a positive impact on events in Darfur.
More generally, there have been a number of statements (notably by President Bashir at the opening of Parliament and First Vice President Taha in his press conference at the end of March and again at the Darfur conference) suggesting a renewed intention to engage in an open and inclusive political dialogue.
This has been backed up by the release of some political prisoners. We have welcomed this. It is encouraging for Sudan and, specifically in this context, for Darfur.
We and others also welcomed some developments more specifically related to Darfur: the publication of new Government directives on access for donors and NGOs to conflict areas, and the transfer of some $180m in seed money from the Government to the Darfur Regional Authority.
On the eve of the Doha conference, a significant faction of one of the armed groups, the Justice and Equality Movement, signed up to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. This is very good news.
Against this background most donors reiterated their commitment to providing support for Darfur. In the UK statement we noted that over the last few years we had provided around £25 million pounds a year for Darfur and that, provided the security situation and access arrangements allowed, we would continue to do so.
Some of our assistance is directed at helping people rebuild their livelihoods. Our ambition is to help make 250,000 people food secure in Darfur by 2015. We also recognise the need to shift focus to sustainable developmental work. We are already heavily engaged on this, notably in helping to develop urban water infrastructure (not just in Darfur) and are expanding our work in this area.
But interventions at the conference also reflected some widespread concerns about the current situation in Darfur. Some of the relative progress in 2012 has been reversed. Serious inter-tribal fighting has taken place in north Darfur, around control of the gold resources, and there have been significant clashes between rebel and Government forces recently in South Darfur.
The Government’s contribution to the Darfur Regional Authority, although welcome, has been much delayed. As a result the DRA is not fully operational. Several important provisions of the DDPD, Darfur’s Peace Agreement, have not been activated, for example those concerning justice and reconciliation. The lack of access for development actors, and free movement for UNAMID, has been a longstanding concern. The new directives are promising but yet to be tested.
Most donors said they wanted to see clear progress on these issues before making financial pledges. That’s a good message from Doha: we are supportive, we have made significant political and financial contributions in the past and are in principle willing to do so again.
But success in Darfur depends on a truly cooperative and trusting relationship between the Government, regional authorities and donors. And it requires a demonstrable commitment by all to a political not military solution and to the long-term development of Darfur.