East Sudan rebels demand Eritrean mediation role

Jan 3, 2005 (ASMARA) — East Sudan’s rebel alliance on Tuesday demanded that its ally Eritrea play an active role in peace talks it is supposed to hold with the Khartoum government in Libya later this month.

Amna Dirar, vice president of the Eastern Front rebel coalition, said the alliance had not yet decided if it would pull out of the talks if its demand was not met.

The Eastern Front last week accused Libya of trying to help Sudan split the rebel alliance, after media reports that Khartoum had signed an agreement with one key group of the alliance in Tripoli.

“(The Eritreans) have a very good understanding of our problem — which is very hard to find in other countries,” Dirar told Reuters. “That is why we insist that for any mediation, the Eritreans should be part of it.”

“Libya by itself will not be the mediator,” she said.

Dirar said she had not heard from either the Eritrean or Sudanese governments on the matter, but expected their approval based on earlier communications.

Eastern Front officials had been expecting to travel to Libya for discussions with the Khartoum government on Jan 17, but Dirar said she had heard nothing more.

The Eastern Front was formed in February by a merger between the Rashaida Free Lions and the Beja Congress, the two main rebel groups in the east of Sudan.

Eastern Sudan’s low-level insurgency accelerated earlier this year, when police opened fire on a peaceful march killing and injuring dozens of residents in Port Sudan.

Sudan in 2002 accused Eritrea of supporting eastern rebels and closed their border, but in December both sides agreed to discuss re-opening it.

Eritrea has denied arming the eastern rebels, but admits to helping with logistics and administration.

Neglect by the central government in Khartoum is cited as the key cause of conflict throughout Africa’s largest country.

(Reuters)