Cannes Declaration on the Regional Dimension of the Darfur Crisis

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Country/entity: Central African Republic
Chad
Sudan
Darfur
Region: Africa (excl MENA)
Agreement name: Cannes Declaration on the Regional Dimension of the Darfur Crisis
Date: 15 Feb 2007
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Interstate/intrastate conflict(s)
Central African Republic Conflicts (1996 - )
The Central African Republic conflict is one of a set of regionally connected conflicts addressed by the African Great Lakes process. After the country gained independence from France in 1960 it has been ruled by a sequence of autocratic leaders that principally gained power through coups. Since the mid-1990s several waves of internal conflict took place in the Central African Republic, primarily along tribal, and later-on increasingly sectarian, lines. In 1996 and 1997, French troops and soldiers from neighbouring countries intervened to end a mutiny in the capital, Bangui, by factions of the army. The fighting was predominantly along tribal lines, with southern tribes in revolt against the ‘northern’ government. A UN mission was installed in 1998 to secure the truce.
After General Bozizé took control of the country after several coup attempts in 2003, a ‘bush war’ began led by armed opposition forces. From late 2006 onward, government troops with French military support severely weakened the rebels. Following this, a number of agreements were signed during 2007-2008, but not all factions have accepted them. In 2011, Bozizé was re-elected in supposedly fraudulent elections, which resulted in a new wave of uprisings. Séléka, an alliance of northern rebel groups, took over parts of the country and forced Bozizé to agree to a power-sharing deal. However, after this agreement broke down, Séléka took control of Bangui and Bozizé had to flee the country in 2013. Leader of Séléka, Michel Djotodia, took office and officially disbanded Séléka. However, continual violence between ex-Séléka groups and opposing militias, collectively known as ‘anti-balaka’, persisted and Djotodia was forced to resign less than a year later. Catherine Samba-Panza was installed as interim president until Faustin Archange Touadéra was elected in January 2016. In February 2019 an agreement was signed between the government and fourteen armed groups, including ex-Seleka groups, committed to disarmament. However, violence between ex-Seleka groups and anti-balaka continues.
Chadian Conflicts (1966 - )
The political history of Chad has been defined by ethno-religious conflict following independence from France in 1960, particularly between the Islamic north and the Christian and animist south. Although prevalent during the colonial era, this became particularly apparent under Tombalbaye during his 15-year rule (1960-1975), which saw mass discrimination against the Muslim northern and central regions. In 1966, the Islamist National Liberation Front on Chad (FROLINAT) was formed, but the movement was defined by factionalism and in-fighting, often encouraged by Libyan government policies, until the civil war ended in 1993. In 1975 Tombalbaye was killed during a coup, and the country reverted to military rule. Constant pressure from the various FROLINAT factions, however, caused then-ruler General Felix Malloum to align himself with Hissene Habre, a rebel leader formerly-aligned with FROLINAT, but then-commander of the Forces Armées du Nord (FAN). In 1978, Libyan troops also occupied the Aouzou Strip (See Libyan-Chadian Conflict). Meanwhile, Habre’s FROLINAT competitor, Goukouni Oueddei, gathered the majority of the northern insurgent factions, and the ensuing civil war between 11 factions eroded the capabilities of the state. In 1979, the Lagos Accords created a unity government (GUNT) that briefly convened the factions, but infighting between Habre and Goukouni’s forces broke out soon after.

Habre finally gained control of N’Djamena in 1982, but faced continuing insurgent pressure from GUNT. This changed in the mid-1980s when all forces in Chad aligned themselves against the Libyan occupation and expelled them from Chad. Infighting in Habre’s regime, meanwhile, saw the defection of General Idriss Deby to Sudan, where he launched a Zaghawa campaign against the President and took the capital in December 1990 with Libyan-backing. Deby was announced President in early 1991, and to ease fighting he announced elections, which he won, in 1996. A number of short-lived peace deals were signed with several rebel factions in 1997, but fighting continued. In 2003, an influx of over 200,000 refugees from Darfur complicated the matter further, and in 2005 Chad declared war on Sudan, which was backing the Chadian rebel group, Rally for Democracy and Liberty. A series of battles ensued across Chad culminating in the Battle of N’Djamena in 2008. The latest war ended in 2010 with a peace accord signed between Sudan and Chad.

In 2021, the FACT (Front pour l’Alternance et la Concorde au Tchad: Front for Change and Concord in Chad) attacked the Chadian military on the eve of presidential elections. President Idriss Déby was killed in the attack, and the army formed a Transitional Military Council (TMC).
Sudan Conflicts (1955 - )
Agreements relate to several distinct dyads, and also the negotiated independence of South Sudan, and subsequent internal conflict in South Sudan. Sudan-South Sudan. The long-standing conflict between the north and the south of the country dates back to colonial times, where the British introduced a so-called ‘Southern Policy’, severely hampering population movements between these big regions. Immediately after gaining independence in 1956, southern movements started to fight for independence; this fight became professionalised in 1983 with the foundation of the soon internationally supported Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). When the Islamic Front government introduced strict sharia laws in the south after it took over power in 1988 the war intensified. A decade later, the military situation reached a stalemate, enabling internationally facilitated peace negotiations to begin in 1997. After more fighting, a final negotiation push began in 2002, leading to the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Areement (CPA) in January 2005.

Sudan-South Sudan post referendum. South Sudan became independent in July 2011; since then, relations between the two countries are complicated and violent conflict led by the SPLM (North) in the Sudanese Nuba mountains region has since intensified.

Darfur. Other long-standing violent conflicts are in the east and the west of the country. In the east, the Beja Congress, established in 1957, is the spearhead of a currently ‘peaceful’ opposition movement. In the west, the violent conflict in Darfur intensified in the early 2000s and rapidly gained international attention, even resulting in genocide charges against leading figures of the Sudanese government. The situation on the ground is complex, with over a dozen organisations (most notably the Sudanese Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement) fighting the Sudanese government and allied groups like the Janjaweed – although all parties have switched sides on numerous occasions. Several mediation attempts have not been successful, due to the shaky commitment of the Sudanese central government and the distrust among the armed opposition.

South Sudan - internal
In December 2013, after president Salva Kiir accused opposition leader Riek Machar of attempting a coup, violent conflict broke out between government forces of the SPLM/A and anti-governmental groups. In addition, several other political militias as well as communal militias have joined the conflict. In 2015 the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) was signed. Due to unsuccessful implementation the agreement was revitalized in 2018. In September 2019, Kiir and Machar agreed to establish a power-sharing government after struggles on forming a unity transitional government.
Stage: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Territory
Peace process: Darfur-Sudan peace process
Parties: [Uploaded document is not signed, but indicates Parties and Third Parties] Mr Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan; Mr Idriss Déby, President of the Republic of Chad; Mr François Bozizé, President of the Central African Republic
Third parties: [Uploaded document is not signed, but indicates Parties and Third Parties] At the initiative of Mr Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic; Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, President of the Republic of Ghana, Chairman of the African Union; and in the presence of: Mr Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt; Mr El Hadj Omar Bongo, President of the Republic of Gabon; Mr Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo.
Description: A declaration by the Parties, providing a commitment to respect the sovereignty of each country, establishing consultative bodies for the three countries, and supporting continued engagement of the UN and AU.

Agreement document: SD_070215_Cannes Declaration on Regional Dimension of Darfur.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: Page 2, The participants declare as follows:
2) We call for the establishment of active consultation bodies bringing together Sudan,
Chad and the Central African Republic.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: Page 1, Untitled Preamble
Whereas relations between Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic have deteriorated in recent months, [...]

Page 1, Untitled Preamble
Resolved to encourage an active political dialogue with a view to strengthening regional
stability and fostering good neighbourly relations,

Page 2, The participants declare as follows:
1) We reiterate our commitment to respect the sovereignty of each country and not to support the armed movements in conformity with the Tripoli agreement.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: Page 2, The participants declare as follows:
1) We reiterate our commitment to respect the sovereignty of each country and not to support the armed movements in conformity with the Tripoli agreement.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: [Uploaded document is not signed, but indicates Parties and Third Parties] At the initiative of Mr Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic; Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, President of the Republic of Ghana, Chairman of the African Union; and in the presence of: Mr Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt; Mr El Hadj Omar Bongo, President of the Republic of Gabon; Mr Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: Page 2, The participants declare as follows:
3) We support continued engagement of the United Nations Organization and the African Union.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: https://pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr/editorial/actual/ael2/bulletin.gb.asp?liste=20070216.gb.html (French govt website); Peacemaker.un.org,. 2015. 'UN Peacemaker'. http://peacemaker.un.org.;

24th Conference of the Heads of State of Africa and France Regional Dimension of the Darfur Crisis

Cannes Declaration

Cannes, 15 February 2007

At the initiative of Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic, a working meeting on the regional dimension of the Darfur crisis was held in Cannes on 15 February 2007, bringing together:

- the President of Sudan,

- the President of Chad,

- the President of the Central African Republic,

Hereinafter referred to as "the participants",

Under the chairmanship of the President of Ghana, Chairman of the African Union and in the presence of:

- the President of Egypt,

- the President of Gabon,

- the President of Congo,

Whereas relations between Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic have deteriorated in recent months,

Resolved to encourage an active political dialogue with a view to strengthening regional stability and fostering good neighbourly relations,

Referring to the relevant provisions of the Darfur Peace Agreement (Abuja, May 2006), the agreement to settle the dispute between the Republic of Chad and the Republic of

Sudan (Tripoli, 8 February 2006), the minutes of the meeting between the authorities of Chad and Sudan (N'Djamena, 25 July 2006), the high-level conclusions between the African Union, the United Nations Organization and the Government of Sudan (Addis Ababa, 16 November 2006), the communiqué of the 66th meeting of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (30 November 2006), the statements by the President of the United Nations Security Council (53rd of 15 December 2006 and 55th of 19 December 2006), the letters from the Secretary-General of the United Nations to the President of Sudan (18 December 2006 and 24 January 2007), and the written response

from the President of Sudan to the Secretary-General of the United Nations (23 December 2006),

The participants declare as follows:

1)We reiterate our commitment to respect the sovereignty of each country and not to support the armed movements in conformity with the Tripoli agreement.

2) We call for the establishment of active consultation bodies bringing together Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic.

3) We support continued engagement of the United Nations Organization and the African

Union.

The participants:

Mr Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan

Mr Idriss Déby, President of the Republic of Chad

Mr François Bozizé, President of the Central African Republic

Under the chairmanship of

Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, President of the Republic of Ghana, Chairman of the African Union

Mr Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic

Mr Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Mr El Hadj Omar Bongo, President of the Republic of Gabon

Mr Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo./.