(From THE WALL STREET JOURNAL) By Margaret Coker in Abu Dhabi and Sarah Childress in Nairobi
Sudan President Omar al-Bashir, facing charges of war crimes, signed a preliminary peace accord with a rebel group in the Darfur region to help end the conflict in the oil-rich nation.
Officials in the Qatari capital, Doha, where peace talks have been taking place, described the agreement as temporary cease-fire, backed by a promise between the two sides to forge a final settlement that could lead to a power-sharing arrangement with the rebel group. The sides were also expected to negotiate the possibility that representatives for the rebels, known as the Justice and Equality Movement, or JEM, could become an officially recognized political party. Compensation for those killed or displaced by the seven years of fighting in Darfur is also on the table, according to officials familiar with the talks.
"With this agreement, we take a major step toward ending the war, " Mr. Bashir said, embracing JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim and shaking his hand during an elaborate ceremony.
Unresolved issues may undermine a permanent peace agreement, however. Hours before the cease-fire came into effect, JEM accused Sudanese troops of attacking the rebels, although the government denied the attack, Reuters reported. Mr. Ibrahim, speaking in Doha, said the road to peace "needs much patience."
One immediate shortcoming with Tuesday's announcement is that it doesn't include the dozen other rebel factions involved in Darfur's fighting. Ten Darfur rebel groups said Tuesday in Doha that they were ready to start negotiations with the Khartoum government. It is unclear whether they will join the talks with JEM, or if they will start a parallel track.
But without all parties involved, a cease-fire "will be difficult to implement on the ground, " said Fouad Hikmat, a Sudan expert at the International Crisis Group, an independent think tank in Nairobi. The other rebel groups, he added, "could become spoilers."
Qatar's leader, Sheikh Hamid bin Khalifa al Thani, underscored the benefits of peace by announcing a $1 billion donation from his government to help rebuild the war-torn Sudanese province, according to Qatar's state-owned media.
Still, the government and Dafur's main rebel group have much to gain from a lasting agreement.
A permanent deal would propel JEM to the forefront of efforts to resolve the regional conflict and support the group's efforts to secure positions in government.
For Mr. Bashir, the signing ceremony for a cease-fire shows his government working toward peace as his campaign gears up and he fends off war-crime charges brought by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The charges aren't expected to derail his re-election.
Both sides are scrambling to position themselves ahead of the April vote, which will be the country's first since a civil war began in 1983. That war -- which ended in 2005 with an accord between the north and south -- left two million dead.
Two years earlier, in 2003, government-backed militias had unleashed a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the people in the western region of Darfur. An estimated 200, 000 people were killed. In 2006, the U.S. levied sanctions against Mr. Bashir and top officials in his government for their alleged connection to the campaign.
Having imposed sanctions on Mr. Bashir's government, the U.S has taken an interest in resolving the conflict in Sudan. Washington has backed the peace process sponsored by Qatar, a wealthy Arab state that is seen by the Khartoum government and the rebels as a neutral mediator. Doha has hosted talks between JEM leaders and Sudan government representatives, in addition to mediations between the rival rebel factions, almost monthly since last spring.
Also present at Tuesday's signing were the presidents of Chad and Eritrea, as well as the emir of Qatar.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 23, 2010 23:24 ET (04:24 GMT)
DJ Codes: country:[R/AF, R/SU] subject:[N/ZDJ, N/DJSS, N/DJWI, N/GEN, N/JNL, N/MLT, N/PLT, N/WLS] layout:[J/LMJ] market:[M/NND] government:[G/IGV]
