Darfur rebel leader to arrive on Saturday to Khartoum
Aug 4, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The leader of a faction of Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), Minni Minawi, is to arrive in Khartoum on Saturday. Minawi signed the African Union brokered Darfur Peace deal with the Sudanese government in May.
Minawi is expected to be sworn in as Senior Assistant to the president of the Republic, the fourth highest constitutional post in the country, as it is stipulated in the peace agreement.
Mahjoub Hussein, the official spokesman of the SLM/A, told journalists in Khartoum that the ceremony will be held on Sunday.
He would address the citizens at the Green Park in Khartoum. Sudanese authorities have taken draconian measures to prevent Darfurians who are opposed to the peace deal from disrupting the meeting.
On Thursday 3 August, people from the Fur ethnic group who are against the deal disrupted a rally held at Alhaj Yousif, on the outskirts of Khartoum.
The State Minister at the Ministry of Youth and Sports and chairman of mobilization and Information committee for receiving Minawi, Abdelgader Mohamed Zain, said that the arrival of the SLM faction leader affirmed the movement seriousness to implement the peace agreement.
He called on all popular and official sectors to participate in celebration to receive the SLM leader, which will mark the beginning for the new peace stage.
The minister affirmed that the government and SLM members are carrying out great efforts to implement the peace agreement on the ground.
The member of SLM, Abdelkarim al-Sheikh, affirmed that the final arrangements were completed to receive the leader of SLM, saying that the arrival of Meni Arkoy affirms his keenness to put into action the peace agreement.
Regarding clashes which flared up lately between SLM Minawi faction and other groups in Darfur, al-Shiekh stressed the commitment of SLM to the ceasefire, adding that the SLM has never violated and will not permit any violation of the ceasefire.
Al-Sheikh said that since the arrival of its advance delegation, the SLM-Minawi involves itself in war or fire exchange with any party, stressing that the SLM has signed the peace agreement for the sake of security for Darfur people.
(ST)