Darfur rebels pledge cooperation to solve the crisis

TRIPOLI, Libya, May 11, 2005 (AP) — Two main rebel groups in Sudan’s conflict ridden Darfur region signed a declaration Wednesday pledging to adhere to a cease-fire and help facilitate the flow of humanitarian relief aid.

Sudan Liberation Army rebel in the town of Deribat in the Jebel Marra mountains of South Darfur. (Reuters).

The “Tripoli Declaration” was part of a drive by Libya to mediate in the Darfur crisis, which has seen both rebels and the government repeatedly call cease-fires and promise to return to negotiations only to have violence continue.

The large Darfur region of western Sudan has been torn by violence since February 2003 in a conflict between non-Arab rebels and government forces, backed by militia allies. The Arab militiamen in particular are accused of atrocities against non-Arab civilians in the conflict. The U.N. estimates 180,000 people have died, mainly from war-induced hunger and disease, and some 2 million displaced people.

The Sudan Liberation Movement, the Justice and Equality Movement and local leaders from north, south and west Darfur regions signed the declaration before Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and Sudan’s State Minister for Humanitarian affairs, Mohammed Youssef.

Representatives from the two groups said on Monday that they would resume negotiations with the government without preconditions.

The declaration said the local rulers would be neutral while dealing with issues arising from the crisis and a permanent mechanism would be established to facilitate contacts between the concerned parties and to ease the movement of the relief teams.

“On hearing this agreement, the world should respect the Sudanese people and realize that they need no international custody to solve their problems,” Gadhafi said.

Gadhafi has often tried to position Libya as a mediator in African conflicts. The Libyan leader said a mini-summit on Darfur crisis, scheduled to be held in Egypt on Sunday, would instead be held in Tripoli on Monday. Egyptian officials said they would hold talks about the changing of the venue on Thursday.