VOA标准英语10月-Sudan Launches Darfur Peace Initiative

The Sudanese government has launched a peace initiative for the country's Darfur region. As Derek Kilner reports from VOA's East Africa bureau in Nairobi, the effort is being supported by the country's main political parties, but has been rejected by Darfur rebel groups.

Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir announced the start of the Darfur Peace Initiative at a conference of political parties and civic¹ organizations in Khartoum on Thursday.
　

President al-Bashir of Sudan (File)

The effort is being billed as a homegrown attempt to reach a peace deal to the five-year old conflict. President Bashir also said the initiative would include some $250 million in new development projects for the Darfur region and trials for those suspected of crimes in the conflict.

The opening of the conference was attended by representatives of several of Sudan's political parties, including the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, former rebels who now control a semi-autonomous government in the south, and the northern Umma Party. There were also representatives from the African Union, Arab League, Egypt, Libya, and Qatar.

But Darfur rebel groups, whose participation² would appear to be a requirement for any effective settlement to the conflict, declined to attend. Spokesmen for the Justice and Equality Movement and factions⁴ of the Sudan People's Liberation Army dismissed the initiative as an attempt by the ruling National Congress Party to avoid an arrest warrant for President Bashir at the International Criminal Court.

Hafiz Mohammed, coordinator⁵ for the Darfur program at Justice Africa in London, says there are many observers who share the rebels' view.

"Many commentators⁶ and politicians believe that the whole issue of having a national initiative is to try and bail⁷ out President Bashir from what he might face in the ICC with this indictment⁸ process going on," he said. "They want to rally the country. "

A number of smaller political parties also declined to attend, including the Popular Congress Party, led by Hassan al-Turabi a former ally of President Bashir.

Mohammed says the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, who waged a two-decade war against the northern government before a 2005 peace agreement, are supporting the initiative out of a desire to keep that deal, with its promises of national elections and a referendum on southern secession, alive.

"The SPLM themselves are divided. And they don't actually have a clear policy. I spoke³ to one senior SPLM and he said to me look we are a partner and we have an agreement which we need to be implemented⁹," added Mohammed. "And al-Bashir is the one who actually guarantees that implementation¹⁰. And we're going to stand by him because, standing¹¹ by him that means he is going to guarantee that the agreement is going to be implemented."

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor¹² requested an arrest warrant for President Bashir, on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. Sudan's government is seeking international support for having the UN Security Council dismiss or delay the request. This week, the court's judges gave the prosecutor one month to gather additional evidence in the case against President Bashir.

Efforts by the UN and African Union to negotiate a settlement to the conflict, which has killed between 200,000 and 300,000 people according to international estimates, have so far had little success. Efforts are under way to organize a new round of talks, set to be held in Qatar.

1 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

2 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

5 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

6 commentators   

n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 )；时事评论员；注释者；实况广播员

参考例句：

• Sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 体育解说员翻来覆去说着同样的词语，真叫人腻烦。
• Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 电视体育解说员说来说去就是那么几句话，令人厌烦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

8 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

9 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

10 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

11 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

12 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。