Chad’s president to meet Minnawi over peace in Darfur
May 7, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Preparations are underway to organise a meeting between the Chadian president Idris Deby and Minni Minnawi who leads one of the rebel groups in Darfur region, said a Sudanese official of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP)
Hassan Bargo told reporters on Wednesday that the president Deby will meet the leader of one of the two factions of Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), Minni Minnawi, in the upcoming days in a meeting similar to that one held with Gibril Ibrahim of the Justice and Equality Movement.
He added that Deby is tasked by Um Jaras forum for peace in Darfur to brief the rebel leaders about their recommendations and to collect the views of on it.
President Deby met in Paris on 5 April with JEM chairman and informed him that the tribal forum of Zaghawa leaders wants him to stop war in Darfur and to sign a peace agreement with the government.
But according to a statement his group issued at the time, the rebel leader declined the call saying he is waging war against the government not for his tribe, or Darfur but for the sake of justice and democratic change in the whole Sudan.
Minnawi form his part, denied at the time reports he had met with Deby, and criticised the government saying it mounted this forum to mislead the international community and give the false impression they are working to achieve peace in the country.
Rebels groups in Darfur and the Two Areas issued recently a roadmap for peace in Sudan calling to unify the two existing peace process, and to include political parties in a third phase of negotiations dedicated to a new constitution.
The Sudanese government, however, has rejected the demand of rebel groups for a comprehensive and inclusive process, expressing willingness to negotiate a solution for the conflict with the SPLM-N and calling on Darfur groups to join the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur.
(ST)