Burkina Faso’s president and JEM rebels discuss ways for inclusive peace in Darfur
August 29, 2011 (LONDON) — Burkina Faso’s President Blaise Compaoré Monday discussed with the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) the ongoing efforts to achieve a comprehensive and inclusive peace in Darfur and pledged to play a greater role to end the eight year conflict.
JEM rebels refused to sign the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), which is a framework peace text, asking to open its seven chapters for talks. Sudan’s Khartoum government rejected this request saying it would only discuss the participation of the rebels in the government and integration of their fighters into the national army.
“President Compaoré promised us to remain engaged in order to achieve a real peace in Darfur. He also said that his foreign minister Djibril Bassolé will continue his efforts for a negotiated solution in Darfur,” said Ahmed Hussein Adam, who was speaking to Sudan Tribune from Ouagadougou.
Adam further said that JEM reaffirmed its serious determination to reach a peaceful agreement addressing the root causes of the conflict and its effects. “But we believe that Khartoum is not serious because all what it offers is to discuss jobs with us,” he stressed.
JEM delegation requested the Burinka Faso president to create a positive atmosphere paving the way for a genuine peace in collaboration with the different regional and international brokers.
The meeting was attended by Burkina Faso’s foreign minister Djibril Bassolé who was the Joint Chief Mediator for more than two years ago. He is also a member of the follow-up committee led by the state of Qatar.
The committee which includes the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, is expected to meet during the second week of September. Also, the US administration plans to hold a consultative meeting in Washington next October, instead of September.
During the stakeholders conference held in Doha at the end of May 2011, JEM welcomed the framework document adopted by the meeting as basis for peace in Darfur. The rebels who participate in the Doha process besides the Liberation and Equality Movement (LJM) said they did not participated in the direct talks to prepare this text and asked to open it for discussions.
However, the government refused the demand saying the document offers good basis for peace in Darfur and it is not disposed to offer more than what it did. It also reiterated that the Doha agreement will remain open for three months but after this delay it would close definitively negotiations with the rebels.
Khartoum recently welcomed the Washington meeting for peace in Darfur but warned that it would not give more concessions to JEM and urged the international community to press the rebels to join the Doha peace deal.
An advance delegation of the LJM will arrive to Khartoum on 6 September to prepare the launch of the implementation of Doha peace agreement signed on 14 July 2011 with the Sudanese government.
(ST)