JEM rebels slams Darfur meeting say it serves Khartoum strategy

July 7, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — Darfur rebels criticized the high level meeting organized this week to discuss the situation in the restive region saying it pours in government strategy to domesticate the resolution of the conflict.

This meeting is a public relations gathering and consistent with government policy to domesticate the resolution of the conflict, said Ahmed Hussein Adam the official spokesperson of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

Ahmed further regretted that the head of hybrid peacekeeping mission, who initiated the meeting, has brushed aside his mandate to establish security and to provide protection Darfur civilians to compete with the Joint Peace Mediator Djibril Bassole and the head AU panel on Darfur (AUPD), former President Thabo Mbeki over the file of Darfur peace.

“Unfortunately Mr Ibrahim Gambari has neglected his mandate and spend his time disputing Bassole and Mbeki over the peace process in Darfur. This is very serious and damaging development,” he said.

Special Envoys for Sudan of China, Russia, Austria, Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, the European Union, the League of Arab States and the UN’s representatives in Sudan including the Joint Chief Mediator attended the meeting with the participation of the North Darfur Governor.

Special envoy to Sudan of France, UK and the USA were absent from the meeting.

The meeting hailed the ongoing talks in Doha stressing the need for an inclusive process paving the way for a comprehensive peace deal before the end of the year.

“So that peace can take hold throughout Sudan ahead of the crucial referendum on the self?determination of South Sudan in January 2011, and that national efforts to reach sustainable peace can continue thereafter,” read the outcome statement released at the end of the meeting on July 5.

The rebel spokesperson called on the UN Secretary General to assess the work of the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur adding that Gambari has deviated from the UNAMID initial mandate and failed to explain the genuine problems impeding the implementation of his duties.

He hailed the position of the three UN Security Council permanent members who boycotted the meeting. On the other hand, JEM official said that the “Chinese and Russian special envoys have to prove to Darfur people that have not contributed to the genocide in Darfur”.

He said that Russia did never contribute to the humanitarian assistance provided by the international community to Darfur people. But with the Chinese they give Khartoum the needed diplomatic cover to the Sudanese government and provide it with weapons and other military equipment.

Presidential adviser Ghazi Salah Eddin said yesterday he would travel to Doha before July 15, to reinvigorate the peace negotiations in Doha between the government and the rebel Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) who are expected to sign a peace agreement within a week.

After a meeting with Bassole, Ghazi said the government would work to improve the humanitarian and security conditions of Darfur citizens in order to realize peace.

(ST)