Darfur mediator to hold all rebels workshop

September 1, 2009 (PARIS) — The AU-UN Joint Mediator for Darfur welcomed the formation of a new rebel group announced yesterday in the Libyan capital Tripoli. He also announced the organization of a workshop for the different rebel groups to reach joint positions before the peace talks

Djibril Bassole welcomed on Tuesday the establishment of the new Sudan’s Liberation Revolutionary Forces (SLRF) expressing hopes that this landmark deal between six rebel factions would boost the ongoing efforts to end the six-year conflict in Darfur.

Bassole, who is not directly involved in the different initiatives to reunite the rebel groups contrary to the former mediators, told Sudan tribune that he is preparing to hold a workshop for the different rebel movements to discuss themes dealing with the demands and issues they want to negotiate with Khartoum.

This roundtable intends to gather the four rebel groups: the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel-Wahid Al-Nur, the newly formed SLRF and the three groups that agreed in Addis Ababa last month to unite under the sponsorship of the US envoy Scott Gration.

“We will invite them in Doha to discuss issues like compensations, voluntary return of IDPs, security, and capacity building etc…” he said.

Bassole underlined that such exercise would be very positive for the rebels because they can assess where they diverge and seek to define a joint position before the talks with the government.

This approach would allow the mediation to better manage future talks between the Sudanese government and Darfur rebels who have different visions and demands with regard to the solution of Darfur conflict.

The mediator said this rebel forum would take place by the end of September.

(ST)