Originally published by the Friends Committee on National Legislation: http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=1885&issue_id=104

The signing of a peace agreement between the Sudanese government and one of the primary rebel groups in the Darfur region of Sudan may be a significant first step toward ending a modern-day genocide. This week, Congress is expected to approve $173 million in supplemental funding to support African Union (AU) peacekeepers already operating in Darfur. Last month the United Nations initiated the process to bring UN peacekeepers into the region. The U.S. and the international community should maintain a focused, consistent, high-level involvement designed to promote a lasting, comprehensive peace in Sudan.

The Darfur Peace Agreement - A Step in the Right Direction

After a period of intense negotiations, two deadline extensions, and significant international engagement â€" including a last-minute intervention by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick â€" the Darfur peace agreement was signed on May 5, 2006, by representatives from the government of Sudan and from one of the primary rebel groups in Darfur, the Sudanese Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A). The signing of the peace agreement represents a significant first step toward ending violence in the region and creating the conditions for a sustainable peace in Darfur. Learn more about the key elements of the peace agreement.

However, more needs to be done to ensure a long-term peace in the region.

The Dafur peace agreement is fragile. The peace process was not perfect, and questions remain about how to implement key elements of the agreement in a way that addresses the legitimate concerns of all involved. One month after the agreement was signed, representatives from two other rebel groupsâ€"an important rival faction of the SLM/A, and the smaller Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)â€"have yet to sign on. Ongoing violence, including cross-border violence with Chad, continues to destabilize the region. The Sudanese government recently agreed to allow a joint United Nations-African Union mission into the country to assess the requirements for a possible UN operation in Darfur, but it has not consented to an actual UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur.

While the challenges are daunting, hope remains. The international community is more focused on Darfur than it ever has been before. Sustaining that involvement will be vital to securing any future peace. The peace agreement was never intended to be an "end" to the process of building peace in Darfur; rather, it marks the beginning of a new opportunity to address the root causes of the conflict and to move toward a comprehensive peace in Sudan.

Implications for Congress

The United States and the international community will need to invest considerable diplomatic and financial resources in all aspects of the ongoing peace processâ€"humanitarian, political, and securityâ€"lest Darfur's best chance for peace collapse once more into large-scale conflict.

Support Peacekeeping: Today, African Union peacekeepers are the only presence on the ground protecting civilians and helping to ensure the implementation of the Darfur peace agreement. The House and the Senate both have approved FY06 supplemental appropriations bills containing $173 million to sustain and strengthen the AU peacekeeping force. The two bills now need to be reconciled and a final bill containing the full $173 million approved by Congress.

Assist Victims of the Conflict: Beyond funding peacekeepers, the U.S. should continue to aid the victims of the conflict by providing essential humanitarian assistance. The president's fiscal year 2007 budget request includes $137.5 million to fund ongoing humanitarian activities in Darfur. The House is expected to vote on the foreign operations bill containing this amount later this week; the Senate has yet to begin its work on the bill. Members of Congress need to appropriate at least $137.5 million for ongoing humanitarian activities in Darfur.

Read FCNL's recommendations for building a sustainable peace in Darfur.

Preventing the Next Darfur: The Peaceful Prevention of Deadly Conflict

In addition to engaging in Darfur, the U.S. should also develop tools to address similar crises in the future.

Another Darfur is not inevitable. By challenging how people think about conflictâ€"namely, shifting from a pattern of reaction to a paradigm of preventionâ€"the U.S. can help build the capacity to quickly and effectively respond to emerging crises before they erupt into major conflicts and humanitarian disasters. To help prevent the next Darfur, the U.S. should commit significant resources to enhancing dialogue between societies, preventing the continuance and re-emergence of violence, and assisting in the creation of states with representative governance based on the rule of law and with widely available economic opportunity, protection of fundamental human rights, and strong civil societies.

Find out more about the peaceful prevention of deadly conflict and resources you can use to advance it on FCNL's website.

*See Uniting Darfur's Rebels: A Prerequisite for Peace, a report by the International Crisis Group, for more details.