Sudan: Opportunity for Peace

Washington, DC — "This is the triumph of Africa doing what it should be doing with the support of the international community. [but unless there is] the right spirit, the right attitude and the right disposition, this document will not be worth the paper it is written on." - Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, commenting on signature of peace agreement on Darfur

Among other provisions, the peace agreement requires the disarmament of the government-created Janjaweed militias that have been principally responsible for over 200,000 civilian deaths. But the obstacles include not only doubts that the government will implement the agreement and the failure of two of three rebel groups to sign, but also doubts whether the "international community" will provide either the resources or the continuing pressure needed for implementation. At present, stressed UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, even relief supplies are forcing relief agencies to cut rations in half for this month, and African Union peacekeeping need immediate additional support for the months it would take for new United Nations forces to arrive.

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