Small Darfur rebel group agrees deal with Sudan-Chad

N’DJAMENA, April 29 (Reuters) – Chad said on Friday a breakaway Darfur rebel group and Sudan’s government had signed a security deal, calling for a cessation of hostilities.

The deal was signed late on Thursday by the rebel National Movement for Reform and Development (NMRD) and Sudan’s minister for investment after talks hosted by Chad’s Minister of Public Security Abderahman Moussa.

“It’s a bona fide security deal which follows on from the humanitarian deal signed in December,” Moussa said. “It’s a solemn undertaking by both parties.”

NMRD President Nourene Barcham signed for the rebels, who control territory along the border between Chad and Sudan.

The deal said the NMRD must pull out of the Jabel Moun region in West Darfur and that its fighters must be confined to barracks at least 15 km (9 miles) from government forces.

It also said the “two parties must stop all belligerent actions”, should free prisoners and should cooperate to facilitate the return of refugees and movement of aid convoys.

The NMRD was formed a year ago after several military commanders broke away from one of the two main Darfur rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

The NMRD is the smallest of the three Darfur rebel groups with between 1,000 and 3,000 fighters.

Darfur’s main rebel groups began an uprising more than two years ago saying Khartoum neglected Darfur and gave Arab tribes preferential treatment over non-Arabs in the arid region.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the fighting and more than 2 million have fled to makeshift camps.

Moussa said a three-way meeting between the NMRD rebels, the Sudanese government and Chad would take place soon to assess how the deal was being implemented.

The NMRD signed a ceasefire and humanitarian protocol with Sudan in December but talks mediated by Chad later broke down after rebels accused Sudanese armed forces of attacking their positions in the Jabel Moun area.

African Union officials monitoring a shaky ceasefire in Darfur confirmed clashes between armed forces and the NMRD about two months ago in the rebel stronghold.