Sudan ‘ready for peace’ with Darfur rebels

October 21, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese government has said it is willing to make peace with rebel groups if they ink the Doha Darfur Peace Document (DDPD) without further negotiations.

On 14 July Sudan signed the seven chapters peace deal with the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), a group mounted by small and breakaway factions from the two main groups, the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). The LJM picked the words “Liberation” from the former and “Justice” in reference to their origins.

However, the SLM’s main factions led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur and Minni Minnawi and the JEM did not endorse the framework peace document negotiated in Doha. The two groups did not participate in the process. JEM asked to open the text for discussions pointing out that the DDPD was elaborated only by the government and LJM. But Khartoum refused.

In July, the government said it would not accept any new process and gave the non-signatories three months (August to October) to join the Doha deal. Khartoum further warned it intended to fight the rebel groups after this period.

Amin Hassan Omer, former government top negotiator and now tasked with the implementation of the Doha deal, said on Friday that the three groups could join the peace document without referring to the three month deadline.

“We will extend our hands to the non-signatory movements if they desire peace without opening the document again for negotiations,” said Amin, following a meeting between the Chinese envoy Liu Guijin and vice-president al-Haj Adam Youssef, who was appointed last September in line with the DDPD.

The state minister further underscored a “general improvement in the international community’s understanding,” of what is happening in Darfur.

International envoys for Darfur peace process called this week, during a meeting held in El-Geinaina, West Darfur on the Sudanese government, to keep the door open for talks with the rebel groups without fixing a deadline.

Omer praised efforts exerted by the Chinese envoy for the resolution of the Darfur conflict and China’s support for peace and development in Sudan.

The visiting envoy reiterated that China will support Sudan in the implementation of the Doha peace agreement.

Liu further stressed he had found a strong commitment from the Sudanese government to implement the DDPD despite the significant financial challenges associated to the peace deal.

In Khartoum it was announced on Friday that the LJM leader Tijani el-Sissi is scheduled to arrive to Khartoum with the Qatari state minister Ahmed Abdullah Al-Mahmoud who brokered the peace deal with the Joint Chief Mediator Djibril Bassole.

(ST)