SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Reuters - Sudan peace talks offer little hope for protesters in Darfur
Reuters’ feature piece on the deteriorating security situation in Darfur examines the prospects of peace.
Reuters note that while Prime Minister Hamdok and the rebel groups say a peace deal would be necessary in ending the turmoil, “donor funding needed to implement the deal is not guaranteed,” with Sudan also facing a “battered” economy.
Analysts also question whether a deal will provide security, as the rebels and militias are fragmented and competing over resources, “often along tribal lines with no clear leadership,” and the Janjaweed are not deterred by peace talks.
Indeed, the International Crisis Group’s Jonas Horner says militias are “scrambling to secure their gains now that al-Bashir has gone,” with Suleiman, a protester in Niertiti in central Darfur saying “they want to keep the same privileges.”
Furthermore, Manzoul Assal, professor at the University of Khartoum, says “neither the rebels nor UN peacekeepers have been able to protect civilians.”