Tension mounts within Darfur SLM-Minawi streams
June 30, 2006 (PARIS) — The situation within the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Minni Minawi today moved towards escalation between its members as a leading member defended the position announced by the spokesperson against the Darfur deal.
The SLM political advisor and external relations Secretary Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim, supported Friday the suspension of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) announced by the SLM spokesperson Esam Edin al-haj earlier this week.
Ibrahim said this suspension does not imply dissidence within the SLM except if the supporters of signed deal – within the movement — decide not to respect the point of view of Darfur people, SLA forces and members of the movement.
Some SLM delegation members in Khartoum disapproved al-Haj statement issued on 27 June. The SLM spokesperson announced the suspension of the DPA implementation saying SLM institutions not concerned by decision taken by those who are favourable to the peace deal.
Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim, was the head of the SLA’s conference organising committee held at the end of October last year. He played a key role at Haskanita conference in the enthronization of Minni Minaw as SLM chairperson.
Slowly but surely cleavage is taking shape within the SLM-Minawi group, the anti-peace deal group says representing the main stream within the movement. Nonetheless, they insist on the necessity to maintain the unity of the rebel group.
Ibrahim underlines that since the day of the signing of DPA in Abuja it was agreed to hold an extraordinary conference to discuss the signed deal and determine a common position but the meeting is never held and advance delegations went to Khartoum to implement the DPA.
The SLM political advisor warned that the day where people will start to implement the security arrangements in the DPA they will verify who is really control the ground.
This development came in the same day where three Darfur rebel groups inked in Asmara the founding declaration of a new rebel National Redemption Front (NRF). Sudan Tribune has learned that the new group discusses with the SLM-Minawi mainstream how they can join the newly created platform.
The SLM led by Abdelwahid al-Nur refused to ink the NRF declaration because the secular al-Nur group rejects any alliance with the Islamist Khalil Ibrahim.
(ST)