Darfur Forum representatives arrive for talks in Abuja

Oct 9, 2005 (ABUJA) — Representatives of the Darfur Peace and Development Forum are now in the Nigerian capital Abuja to meet with parties to the Inter-Sudanese Peace Talks which began in Abuja last month.

Chairman of the forum Adam Hamed Musa, a former governor of South Darfur, told Xinhua on Sunday that they were in Abuja to present the true picture of what was happening in Darfur.

“We are not invited by the African Union (AU) which is sponsoring the Inter-Sudanese Peace talks in Abuja,” he said.

“But we are here to ask to be accommodated to present the true picture of the events in Darfur as those who are responsible for the problems in the area and who are represented at the peace talks represent only two percent of the population of Darfur,” headded.

Musa said the forum came with a message to all parties that thewar in the area must stop and they must resolve for peace.

“Our message for the AU is that the majority of Darfurians should be represented at the talks and a Darfurian conference should be held immediately which outcome should serve as a working paper for the peace talks in Abuja,” he said.

Musa said the forum also wanted immediate stoppage of violence by the rebels against civilians, adding that while the civilians were venerable, the government could not fight the rebels because its hands were tied.

He applauded the role being played by the international community but that the aim of the forum was to ensure that the international community got the correct information on the situation in Darfur from the right source.

Musa also commended the role by played by Nigeria in the effortto resolve the crisis in Darfur as well as the crises in other parts of the African continent.

He told Xinhua that the forum would meet with representatives of the rebel groups “this night” on its mission to Abuja.

A representative of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) Abdul Jabal Dosa confirmed that the forum and SLM would meet Sunday but efforts to get confirmation from the Justice and Equality Movement(JEM) proved abortive.

Meanwhile, a source close to the AU Special Envoy to the Darfur talks and Chief Mediator, Salim Ahmed Salim, told Xinhua that he was aware that the Forum was making effort to reach the Special Envoy on its mission to Abuja.

The Sixth Round of the Inter-Sudanese Peace Talks involving the Government of Sudan (GoS), the SLA and JEM began in Abuja on Sept.15

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