Bring militia groups on board, says ICG

A think-tank, the International Crisis Group (ICG), has said much more attention needs to be paid to pro-government southern militia groups in Sudan in order for the peace process to work.

A report issued on Monday, entitled "Sudan's Oilfields Burn Again: Brinkmanship Endangers the Peace Process", notes the potential spoiler role that the militias can play in the peace process, if greater efforts are not made to encourage their reconciliation with the country's main rebel group, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A).

"If the peace process does not pay more attention to these local factors, it could easily break apart, even if a national-level agreement were to be signed under the auspices of IGAD [Inter-Governmental Authority on Development]," said ICG.

Militia leaders repeatedly referred to the SPLM/A's "exclusionary policy", arguing that they were not bound by the 10 October cessation of hostilities accord signed by the two main sides to the conflict, because those leaders had not been parties to its negotiations, said ICG. "We know that we are protecting the government, and southerners are dying as a result, but it is better than being ruled by [SPLM/A leader John] Garang," said one South Sudan Defence Force spokesman quoted in the report.

The southern militias wanted to be included in the IGAD negotiation process, said ICG, but independent of the SPLM/A.

"...bringing at least a fair number of these 25 potential spoilers back into the fold should be the number one priority for the SPLA, as a united south would have both a stronger military and a stronger diplomatic position, which in turn could give the insurgency sufficient confidence to make the tough decisions still needed to conclude a peace agreement," said the report. For this to occur, however, the SPLM/A would have to make tangible changes to its governance, both internally and externally.

ICG added that the systematic attacks in western Upper Nile (Wahdah State) from late December 2002 until early February had also raised serious questions about the government's commitment to peace.

To view the full report, click on:
www.crisisweb.org