Menawi’s SLM seems divided over Darfur accord
May 9, 2006 (ABUJA) — The main stream of the Sudan Liberation Movement of Minni Menawi seems affected by the signing of Darfur Peace Agreement. Divisions appeared inside the group over the next steps to be taken.
In a letter addressed to the United Nations Secretary General, the Political Advisor of the main faction of SLM, Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim, demands to investigate the circumstances of the signing of their leader.
Ibrahim said Minnawi had been pressured into signing an “incomplete agreement” that would likely fail to solve the crisis.
The letter created a row among the group. SLM’s Menawi spokesperson Mahjoub Hussein said the letter was not representative of the entire movement.
On the other hand, Menawi engaged coordination with the last week splinter group from Abdelwahed faction headed by Abdelrahman Musa Abakr. The 15 members group signed Darfur Peace Agreement beside Menawi last week.
Abdelrahman group is constituted from people belonging to different ethnic groups other than the Fur. Namely Birgid, Berti, Daju, Tunjur and Arab groups of south Darfur who were associated with Abdelwahed. They are saying that there are Massaleit commanders in their numbers.
Such development make clear that if Abdelwahed didn’t join the accord, the Fur tribe will be excluded from the deal and politically isolated in the region.
Khalil Ibrahim Justice and Equality Movement formed mainly form Zaggawa could be contained on the ground because Menawi faction is also a Zaggawa one.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s special representative in Sudan, Jan Pronk, headed to Darfur on Tuesday in an attempt to secure the support of all rebel groups for the peace deal.
“Jan Pronk will resume the efforts he started a week ago in Abuja. But now on the ground he will prod the rebels who didn’t sign the agreement to join the peace process,” UN spokesman in Khartoum said.
The conflict in Darfur erupted in February 2003 when rebels from minority tribes rose up against the central government in Khartoum, prompting a fierce crackdown by troops and a proxy militia called the Janjaweed.
The combined effect of war and famine has left up to 300,000 people dead and displaced more than two million.
(ST)