Interview with CARE officials, Howard Bell and Peter Bell

Ongoing peace talks in the Kenyan town of Machakos between the Sudanese government and the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), and a recent agreement opening up access to war-affected populations, have raised hopes that Sudan could be about to see real improvements in its dire humanitarian situation. In a recent visit to north and south Sudan, CARE International Assistant Secretary-General Howard Bell, and CARE USA President Peter Bell, met with key representatives of the government and the SPLM/A, in an effort to advocate for an equitable peace agreement, and continued, unimpeded humanitarian access. Here they tell IRIN about their impressions of the peace process. QUESTION: From your meetings with government and SPLM/A representatives, how would you describe their current approach to the peace process? PETER BELL: I last visited Sudan three years ago and there's been a marked change over those three years. There is considerably more focus on peace now than there was then. When I last went to the north, to the authorities, even talking about peace was very sensitive. But on this visit every single person in authority talked about their commitment to arriving at a just and lasting peace. From the conversations we have had so far in the south there also seems to be a considerable interest in peace and a commitment to moving toward peace. I would just make one cautionary comment. And that is that the size, the complexity, the diversity of Sudan, and the history of all these years of warfare give reason for pause. It will not be easy and there will be many, many difficulties along the road. Q: What role do you think CARE and other NGOs can play in the peace process bearing in mind they are not formally involved in the Machakos talks? PETER BELL: The strength that we bring is our experience working at the grassroots with hundreds of poor communities in the north and the south, and seeing the continuing harm the war causes to people, seeing their desire for peace, and their desire for a better future. I think it's that perspective that we can bring together with a sense of the hard practicalities and realities of making a peace in principle work in practice. The inclusion of unimpeded humanitarian access in some of the more recent agreements was in part a result of some very strong lobbying by CARE and some other NGOs. That's an example where we've had some influence. Also NGOs like CARE have some influence back in our home countries as independent voices advocating for peace and for access. HOWARD BELL: One of the concerns that has been expressed by a number of people we've talked to is the notion of inclusivity within the peace process and how to ensure that the implementation of the process is as inclusive as possible. It's organisations like CARE with our contacts on the ground, with our association with Sudanese partners that will allow and promote that inclusivity. Q: Have CARE staff seen any major improvements in the ease with which they are able to operate since the ceasefire came into operation? PETER BELL: I cannot say that there's been a dramatic change yet. But I think there is more of an inclination both in the north and the south to link the importance of our work in relief and development to the advancement of peace. We have for some years now advocated very strongly for humanitarian access to all parts of the country, and now I think there is an appreciation that establishing greater humanitarian access in turn helps to advance the peace process. On the other side, a framework for peace and an actual peace settlement will help to ensure humanitarian access. Q: Do you have a message to the parties regarding the cessation of hostilities agreement, which is due to expire at the end of the year? PETER BELL: It's tremendously important that the cessation of hostilities agreement be maintained both in principle and in practice. The maintenance of the cessation of hostilities is a concrete sign of the commitment on both sides to bring the war to a close and it is a way of building confidence and trust on both sides. Of course what we would hope is that by the end of the year the two sides would be sufficiently close to a broad framework for peace that they would want to keep the cessation of hostilities. Q: Do you have any comments on the allegations made by both the government and the SPLM/A, that each side has already has violated the cessation of hostilities agreement? PETER BELL: We know that ultimately any peace agreement has to depend first and foremost on the goodwill of the belligerent parties, but strong verification measures are also important. When we go to Machakos later today [Monday] one of the things I hope we will be able to discuss with some of the participants is precisely how humanitarian agencies and NGOs in particular can be helpful in verification, particularly on the question of humanitarian access. I think that we can play a constructive role there, but it needs to be first and foremost a combination of the parties on both sides supported by formal verification procedures and capacities. We also believe that is true on questions of human rights, and on questions of harm to civilian populations. Q: What sense do you get that the parties are actually tackling the outstanding issues, such as the sharing of wealth, and the disputed border territories? PETER BELL: My impression is that step by step they are tackling the key issues. Some of these issues have been discussed in the past and others they are tackling newly, but my impression is that they are making progress. The process for making peace a reality will be fitful, difficult, uneven but it's tremendously important to continue with the process. This is truly an historic moment for Sudan, and if the peace process fails Sudan will return not just to the status quo ante, but will be further behind than when the process began, and it would be an enormous tragedy with untold consequences. I don't know when Sudan would have another opportunity to get to a settlement. I would also like to mention the critical importance of the international community in drawing together support for this process. There's been a lot of support within the international community over the last year or two in coming to a more concerted, unified support for the process. It's important that the attention of the international community be maintained and that kind of unity be maintained. HOWARD BELL: We have appreciated the continued leadership of the UN and OLS [Operation Lifeline Sudan], and we think that the next few months will be a critical period for the UN and OLS in terms of continued leadership. Particularly if there is peace and we need to move into different modes to cement that peace on the ground.