Libya’s leader, Sudan’s eastern rebels discuss peace initiative

Oct 30, 2005 (TRIPOLI) — Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi received Friday a delegation from the Sudan’s Eastern Front (EF) rebel movement headed by the EF’s president Musa Mohamed Ahmed, and EF’s Secretary General al-Mubarak salim.

Rebels from Sudan’s Eastern Front parade north of Kassala town, near the Eritrean border, in March 2005. (AFP).

According to the official Libyan news agency JANA, the Sudanese delegation welcomed Kadhafi initiative to bring peace and stability in eastern Sudan.

The EF announced last week it would next month meet the government of Sudan for first-ever peace talks, after fighting broke out in June between rebels and government forces.

During this meeting with the Libyan leader, the Sudanese delegation pledged its seriousness to engage peace talks with the government and declared its support to the Libyan mediation

Formed this year, the Eastern Front, who are supported by Eritrea, accuse the government of Sudan in Khartoum of marginalising eastern Sudan, the arena of sporadic fighting since 1994.

The head of the East of Sudan Front, Musa Mohamed Ahmed, presented a sword, and traditional costume from traditional and handicraft industries renowned in east of Sudan as a gift to the Leader.

The Libyan Foreign minister attended the meeting.

On 4 October, Kadhafi received Monday a delegation from al-Rashayda tribe in eastern Sudan to associate tribal leaders to his initiative on eastern Sudan.

Musa Hussein Dirar, a prominent leader from the Sudanese ruling National Congress (NC) party, has fiercely condemned attempts by the Libyan government to mediate the eastern Sudan rebels and government over the eastern problem.

Nonetheless Sudanese government hailed the Libyan efforts to resolve this conflict.
The Eastern Front has joined forces with the Beja Congress and Free Lions – a smaller rebel group – from the country’s Rashaida ethnic group.
The Beja Congress military wing was launched in 1994 and joined four years later by the Free Lions to fight marginalisation by the Sudanese government.