Darfur talks-Sudan accepts Eritrean participation in plenary sessions

ABUJA, Nigeria, June 12, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) — Sudanese government and Darfur rebel delegates agreed that Eritrea should attend plenary sessions at Darfur peace talks here, without participation in the direct negotiations, the official Sudan News Agency (SUNA) said.

Sudanese government chief negociator Majzoub al-Khalifa (L) chats with his Nigerian counterpart Babagana Kingibe in Abuja. (AFP).

The AU last month agreed on the participation of Eritrea as an observer.

Khartoum’s negotiators in Abuja rejected Eritrean participation yesterday, stopping the first plenary session from going ahead.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail warned Earlier Sunday that his government was ready to walk out of Darfur peace talks in Nigeria if African Union mediators allowed archfoe Eritrea to take part.

“Any role for Eritrea as a mediator in Abuja is unacceptable and is rejected because it is not neutral, nor is it a neighbour to Darfur like Chad, Libya and Egypt or an active African Union member like Nigeria, South Africa and some other countries,” Ismail told reporters.

He said the AU had been warned that “if the Eritrean delegation went into the meeting hall, the government delegation would not enter.”

He urged the Eritrean delegation in Abuja to return home and called on Asmara to “attend to its own numerous problems and let the African Union carry out its role for achieving progress in the negotiations.”

The disagreement over Eritrea follows the JEM’s announcement that it rejected mediation from Chad. In his speech at the opening ceremony on Friday, JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim accused Chad of siding with Khartoum and being a “peace spoiler”.

Sudan has often accused Eritrea of supporting the rebels in Darfur, who opened offices in the capital Asmara last year. Eritrea denies the accusation.