Rebels reject NDA participation in Eastern Sudan talks

June 4, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Eastern rebels rejected the participation of the National Democratic Alliance in the expected peace talks with the Sudanese government within two weeks, saying that their former ally is now part of the national unity government.

The rebel Eastern Front leaders have reacted fiercely to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which announced that it would take part in the Asmara talks between itself and the government, beginning 13 June.

A leader from the Front, Abdallah Musa, told Sudanese Media Centre that partnership between the NDA and the ruling party is something that concerned the Government of National Unity which the NDA has become part of, as per the Cairo agreement.

He said the Eastern Front would not allow any attempt to downplay the efforts it has made and that have led to negotiations.

The NDA, an umbrella of the Sudanese political forces opposed to the Sudanese regime signed a political reconciliation with the National Congress in May last year.

During the talks with the ruling party, the head NDA, Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani does not observed demands formulated by the eastern rebels which were members of the former opposition alliance.

Al-Mirghani, who is also the head of the Democratic Unionist Party, traditionally has partisans in the eastern Sudan region and asked to participate in the talks under the name of the NDA.

Sudan and rebel Eastern Front agreed on 25 May in Asmara to start peace talks this month, with an Eritrean mediation.

(ST)