Unified Approach to Darfur Essential to Peace

The international community must speak with one voice to achieve peace in Darfur agreed eminent mediators at the retreat on conflict mediation in Zanzibar, 23-25 April 2007. The meeting hosted by the Geneva based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation included forty eminent mediators actively involved in peace processes throughout Africa including Mr Jan Eliasson, Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations for Darfur, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim , African Union Special Envoy on the Darfur Conflict, President Benjamin Mkapa , the former President of Tanzania, and President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga , the former President of Sri Lanka.

Geneva, Switzerland (PRWEB) May 11, 2007 -- The international community must speak with one voice to achieve peace in Darfur agreed eminent mediators at the retreat on conflict mediation in Zanzibar, 23-25 April 2007.

Mr Jan Eliasson, Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations for Darfur said: "There will be no quick fix for Darfur but we need to do all we can to mobilize the political energy towards a solution. Therefore we are working for a unified position by the international community and trying to intensify the political process."

There will be no quick fix for Darfur but we need to do all we can to mobilize the political energy towards a solution. Therefore we are working for a unified position by the international community and trying to intensify the political process.

The fragmentation of the Darfur Movements renders mediation efforts extremely difficult. It is very important that the Movements are able to present unified positions for talks to move forward

Africans need to translate their commitment to dialogue and mediation into action.

African countries need to bear a greater responsibility in promoting conflict resolution in Darfur and the rest of the continent.

They must bear more of the costs of mediation. The time of self-illusion is over. No developed country owes us peace in our continent. We owe it to ourselves.

Dialogue between governments and armed rebel groups must continue

even in circumstances which may seem to make dialogue difficult.

As a leader, one needs to put aside one's feelings and emotions and insist on the irreplaceable value of dialogue.

The forty eminent mediators actively involved in peace processes throughout Africa were brought together in Zanzibar for three days to focus their attention and energy on challenges and solutions. Discussions took place behind closed doors to help create an environment conducive to the frank exchange of ideas and opinions.

"Africans need to translate their commitment to dialogue and mediation into action." said President Benjamin Mkapa, the former President of Tanzania.

He emphasised that "African countries need to bear a greater responsibility in promoting conflict resolution in Darfur and the rest of the continent."

"They must bear more of the costs of mediation. The time of self-illusion is over. No developed country owes us peace in our continent. We owe it to ourselves." he said.

"Dialogue between governments and armed rebel groups must continue," said President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the former President of Sri Lanka sharing her experiences of peace-making in Sri Lanka, "even in circumstances which may seem to make dialogue difficult."

She argued, "As a leader, one needs to put aside one's feelings and emotions and insist on the irreplaceable value of dialogue."

Participants in the retreat included representatives of the African Union (AU), the United Nations, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), as well as analysts and representatives of nongovernmental organizations.

In addition to Darfur, several other current mediation processes were examined, including Somalia. The implementation of peace agreements in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi were discussed. Africa's capacity to support mediation processes, including within institutions such as the African Union and IGAD were a major theme throughout.

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