Sudan’s Salva Kiir fails to meet Darfur rebels

March 21, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese First Vice President has failed to meet Darfur holdout rebel groups in the Chadian capital. He just held talks with the leader of a small rebel group with whom it was agreed to hold a meeting in Juba next month.

The First Vice President of the Republic, Lt-Gen Salva Kiir Mayardit, has ended a two-day visit to Ndjamena without meeting leaders of the rebel groups opposed to Abuja agreement apart from Ahmed Ibrahim Diraig, leader of the Sudan Federal Democratic Alliance (SFDA).

In the second day of his visit to the Chadian capital, Salva Kiir met with Ibrahim Diraig, who is also a member of the National Redemption Front (NRF) with the Justice and Equality Movement of Khalil Ibrahim.

Salva Kiir proposed a meeting for Darfur rebel groups in the capital of southern Sudan Juba. The two sides also agreed to form a committee to coordinate communications for the hold of this meeting.

The First Vice President asked to meet his former allies in the opposition National Democratic Alliance, Sharif Harir of the SFDA and Khamis Abakar of the SLA. But both were out of reach. While Khalil Ibrahim of JEM preferred to stay in Abeche near the Sudanese border, because he is holding a conference in Abeche to organize the restructure of the NRF.

NRF sources said that Diraig, met Salva Kiir in his capacity as leader of the SFDA and not been mandated to represent the NRF.

Relations between Darfur rebels and the SPLM seem confused because of the long-time negligence of Salva Kiir who had several times reported initiatives and meetings with the different rebel groups.

Last year after their their rejection to sign Abuja deal, Salva Kiir and Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani pledged to play an active role in the resolution of Darfur crisis, because they were the allies of the SLM. But Salav Kiir had no time for Darfur. While, al-Mirghani, who rejects deployment of international troops in Darfur, and now opposed to the ICC jurisdiction on Darfur crimes, has no more relations with Darfur rebels.

(ST)