Sudanese rebel JEM soft-pedals at Darfur talks

ABUJA, Nigeria, June 21, 2005 (PANA) — A major breakthrough was recorded at the ongoing
Darfur talks in Abuja Monday night when one of the two main rebel groups
soft-pedalled on its earlier opposition to Chad’s participation and
submitted its input into the draft declaration of principles (DOP).

Spokesman for the talks, Nourredine Mezni, told PANA in Abuja Tuesday
that the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) submitted its response to
the draft DOP prepared by the AU mediation team to guide the talks.

“The written response of the movement was received last night but we
could not hold any meeting with them on it because it was very late into
the night,” Mezni said.

JEM had opposed the participation of Chad at the Abuja talks, accusing
N’djamena of taking sides in the two-year crisis that has left between
180,000 and 300,000 dead and forced over 2 million to flee their homes.

Mezni said a meeting of the mediation team, its partners, facilitators
and the movements will now take place Tuesday, instead of the plenary as
agreed in the two-day working plan endorsed Monday.

“The plenary will take place some time later in the day after the
consultation between the partners and the movement has been concluded,”
Mezni said.

The failure of the parties, including the Sudanese government and the
Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), to agree on the draft DOP and
work plan have stalled the talks, which re-opened last Monday after a
six-month break.

Mezni said the major breakthrough would come when the DOP is adopted,
thus creating the momentum to move into other substantive issues facing
the talks.