Philippines encouraged by Sudan experience

Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dateline: Manila, The Philippines 13 February 2009

Philippines encouraged by Sudan experience

Advisors to the Government of Sudan, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) and the United Nations mediation shared peacemaking experiences with representatives of the Philippine Government, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and civil society groups in the Philippines between 8 and 13 February 2009.

The meetings in the Philippines were organized and sponsored by the Swiss based mediation organization, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) in the hope that the sharing of experience would contribute to efforts to help the parties restart stalled talks.

Representatives from 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 United Nations mediation team. They each played significant roles in the successful North-South Agreement in Sudan.

The three negotiators travelled throughout Mindanao, visiting the MILF headquarters in Camp Darapanan, to relate their experience of the Sudan conflict and the peace process and provided a series of recommendations to the Government and MILF negotiators.

Nyasha 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.”

Dr. Sabiel added: “You will never be able 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 (DDR) Kelvin Ong, said: “DDR needs to be part of a larger political solution. Be careful about how one communicates it and recognize it needs to be done jointly and comprehensively and will require compromises from both parties.”

Representatives from the Government and the MILF welcomed their suggestions and conveyed a strong desire to restart talks soon.

The conflict in Sudan was one of the world’s bloodiest conflicts since World War II. More than 4 million people were killed during the 30 years of conflict which 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.

This visit follows previous meetings in January by Jonathan Powell and Gerry Kelly, former negotiators in the Northern Ireland peace process also sponsored by HD.

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The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue is an independent and impartial organization that aims to improve the global response to armed conflict by helping to resolve them. It also convenes eminent mediators from around the world to share their experience and conducts research and analysis to advance practical policy recommendations in pursuit of its objectives. The HD Centre is active in a number of conflicts around the world, some of which are necessarily confidential, where it mediates and facilitates dialogue among belligerents thereby reducing human suffering in war.