Eastern Sudan peace talks delayed over Eritrean participation
KHARTOUM, Feb 9, 2006 — Libyan-sponsored peace talks betweem Khartoum and eastern Sudan rebels faced further delays on Thursday after the two sides disagreed over Eritrea’s participation.
“We insist on demanding an Eritrean participation because, from the start, Eritrea took up the initiative of co-sponsoring the mediation with Libya,” said Eastern Front deputy leader Amna Dhirar.
Talks between Khartoum and the Eastern Front, which comprises eastern Sudan’s two main rebel groups, the Beja Congress and the Free Lions, have been repeatedly delayed since November, most recently on Tuesday.
Eritrea “has an intimate knowledge of the Sudanese people and tribes and the Sudanese circumstances and, for this reason, we believe it will be instrumental in brokering peace between the two Sudanese parties,” said Dhirar.
“The negotiations will not be held if Eritrea is not allowed to take part.”
Like their rebel counterparts in Sudan’s troubled western Darfur, the Eastern Front complains their region, which neighbours Eritrea, is marginalized by the government in Khartoum.
Eastern rebels have fought Khartoum sporadically for more than 10 years, with Eritrea giving “political and moral” support to the rebels while denying involvement in military aid.
“Relations between Khartoum and Asmara have not reached a level (of improvement) at which Eritrea can mediate in Sudanese internal issues,” said a spokesman for the ruling National Congress Party, Kamal al-Obeid.
“The government has clearly informed the Libyan mediator that it does not accept any form of Eritrean participation in the negotiations,” he said.
The Front was founded by the Beja Congress and the Free Lions last year and launched its first combined offensive against Sudanese government positions in Red Sea state in June.
The fighting raised fears that conflict in the east could hurt peace efforts in the western Darfur region as well as jeopardize a January 2005 peace pact that ended Sudan’s long-running north-south civil war.
In October, Eritrea and Sudan announced an end to “more than 10 years of estrangement,” and this led to a series of high-level exchanges of visits by senior officials.
(ST/AFP)