Southern Sudan rebels offer help to end Darfur conflict

KHARTOUM, Jan 5 (AFP) — Sudan’s main southern rebel group wants to help resolve the conflict in the war-torn western region of Darfur, saying it has a few ideas about what to do, a Sudanese daily reported Wednesday.

Pagan Amum speaks to reporters in Khartoum Saturday, Dec. 6, 2003 (file/AP) .

Pagan Amoun, a leading official in the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement, said the group first wanted to discuss its ideas with the country’s ruling National Congress Party before publicising them, Al-Rai Al-Aam said.

The SPLM, which has fought since 1983 for greater autonomy for the mainly Christian and animist South, is set to sign a peace deal with the government Sunday in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

Under the terms of the agreement, the SPLM will became a major partner in the government of President Omar al-Beshir, which may enable it to influence policy, including talks with the ethnic minority rebels in Darfur.

Peace talks between the government and the two main rebel groups in Darfur, the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement, began last year and are being held in Nigeria under the auspices of the African Union.

They were suspended in December after both sides accused each other of not respecting a truce signed in April. They are expected to resume later this month, but it is still not clear whether the SPLM will participate.

Khartoum has in the past accused the SPLM of supporting the SLM and fanning the war in the region. Fighting erupted in Febuary 2003 and has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced 1.6 million people, amid rampant human rights violations.

Darfur rebels are demanding an equal share of national development and fair political representation in the central government.