Government, MILF encouraged by Sudan peace experience

MANILA, Philippines - Advisors to the government of Sudan, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) and the United Nations mediation team shared their peacemaking experiences with representatives of the Philippine government, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and civil society groups last Feb. 8-13.

The meetings in the Philippines were organized and sponsored by the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Swiss-based mediation organization, in the hope that the sharing of experiences would contribute to efforts to help the parties restart the stalled peace talks.

Representatives of the Philippine government and the MILF welcomed their suggestions and conveyed a strong desire to restart talks soon.

The team from Sudan included Nyasha Masiwa, a former rebel from Zimbabwe and advisor to the SPLM/A; Dr. Ahmed Ali Sabiel, an advisor to the government of Sudan; and Kelvin Ong, an advisor to the UN mediation team. They each played significant roles in the successful North-South Agreement in Sudan.

The three negotiators traveled throughout Mindanao, visiting the MILF headquarters at Camp Darapanan in Maguindanao, to relate their experiences in the Sudan conflict and peace process and provided recommendations to the government and MILF negotiators.

Masiwa said, “There is a lot they can learn from the mistakes and success of other peace processes but that a solution to the conflict must come from within.”

For his part, Sabiel said, “You will never be able to solve all the problems or meet all the demands of each party but you can focus on what can be solved now.”

In discussing disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, Ong said, “DDR needs to be part of a larger political solution. Be careful about how one communicates it and recognize that it needs to be done jointly and comprehensively and will require compromises from both parties.”

The conflict in Sudan was one of the world’s bloodiest conflicts since World War II. More than four million people were killed during the 30-year conflict that pitted the Arab Muslim north against the Christian south seeking increased autonomy.

The parties signed a comprehensive peace agreement on wealth and power-sharing and DDR in 2005, which contributed significantly to helping end the conflict.

The visit of the Sudan peacemakers followed meetings in January by Jonathan Powell and Gerry Kelly, former negotiators in the Northern Ireland peace process, also sponsored by the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue.