Breaking barriers Tuesday, 08 June 2010 04:52

Darfur was considered an intractable issue until sometime ago. Such was the complexity of the dispute, the bitter rivalry among the parties and the internecine feuds — mediators had given up hope and even the few peace deals that were struck finally floundered. But Qatar is on course to change that history. Talks between the Darfur rivals are progressing in Doha, and a Qatar-mediated deal is set to usher in a new era of peace in that region.

Even as the world seriously ponders the mediating skills of Qatar, this tiny state pulled off another diplomatic coup yesterday – with a bid to broker peace between Eritrea and Djibouti. Both the countries have inked a deal authorising Qatar to mediate in their border dispute.

Add to this the diplomatic triumphs in the past, when Doha interceded successfully in conflicts in Lebanon and Yemen.

Call it punching above its weight or flexing its financial prowess, the fact is that Qatar has carved out a niche on the global stage as a conflict mediator.

But one success after another that Doha has achieved should not delude us into thinking that conflict mediation is a cakewalk. Look at the history and complexity of the disputes in which Qatar has intervened successfully – that will be enough to make even hardened cynics bow their heads in respect to the diplomatic acumen and political wisdom of the Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

THE PENINSULA