Darfur rebel groups regrets clashes
CAIRO, June 7 (AFP) — The two main rebel groups in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur expressed regret Tuesday at recent clashes that left several civilians dead and highlighted their differences ahead of crucial talks with Khartoum.
“We are deeply sorry and we extend our apology to the Darfurian people,” Abdel Wahed Mohammed Ahmed Nur, the head of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), told AFP.
The African Union’s mission in Sudan reported Monday that clashes between the SLA and its smaller rival, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), had left 11 people dead and 17 wounded last week.
“There were incidents in two places, in Labado and Graida. It was a problem between individuals from the two groups and other people, unfortunately, were also killed,” Nur said.
He declined to elaborate on the number of dead or the exact circumstances in which they died.
“The situation is now under control. We ordered all our troops to respect the ceasefire and such actions will not be repeated,” he said.
A senior JEM member also deplored the clashes.
“These were very unfortunate incidents and they are over. It was not the first time, but this time they went too far,” Abdullahi el-Tom told AFP.
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo announced Monday that AU-sponsored peace talks between the two rebel groups and Khartoum would resume on Friday in a bid to end the war that started in February 2003.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan voiced his hope that, after several failed attempts, these talks would yield a final peace agreement.
The AU mission accused the SLM/A of relentlessly targeting JEM rebels in the three Darfur states and said both groups were intensifying military operations to control the territory.
POWER STRAGGLE ON THE GROUND
Mahjoub Hussein, an SLM/A spokesman in London, admitted that the rebel organisations were jockeying for power on the ground ahead of the crunch peace talks in Abuja on Friday.
“There is nothing serious between the two movements. Before, there used to be cooperation between the two movements and now things are very different,” he told AFP.
“The SLM/A is a big organisation, 100 times bigger than JEM and since the talks in Abuja are approaching, this is a good time to consolidate our positions,” he added.
El-Tom, a senior negotiator who will be part of the JEM delegation in the next round of talks, acknowledged that divisions were running deep in rebel ranks and that both groups would struggle to present a united front in Abuja.
“We hope to have an umbrella organisation including both groups and we will discuss all issues beforehand as we have done in the past. But differences are deeper than in the previous rounds and there are incidents that are not easily forgotten,” he said.
He nevertheless put the onus on Khartoum, which the rebels have blamed for the collapse of previous negotiations and the deteriorating security situation.
“All it takes is the goodwill of the government. If they don’t try to manoeuvre like last time, it will be done in two weeks.”
Mainly active in North Darfur, the JEM draws support from the Zaghawa minority and is said to have links with Sudan’s Islamist opposition.
The SLM draws more of its support from sedentary groups in the south and centre and joined mainstream opposition parties in the National Democratic Alliance with former southern rebels of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army.