Darfur rebel leader says SLM to be reunited soon
Dec 10, 2006 (PARIS) — The leader of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement opposed to the Darfur peace deal expressed optimism over the rebuilding of his rebel group as the main political force in Darfur.
The rebel leader Abedlwahid Al-Nur told Sudan tribune he is very confident that his group would soon be reunited. He confirmed information that many field commanders are backing his leadership of the movement.
“The G 19 commanders and many field commanders of Minawi faction are now joining the movement. Commanders Salah Mustafa, Jaralnabi Abdelkarim and Saleh Is’haq, the three were with Minawi but they now re-joined the movement” Abdelwahid unveiled.
Following the spilt of the movement after Haskanita Congress in October 2005, the SLM divided in two groups, Minni Minawi faction representing the Zagawha ethnic group, and the Abdelwahid al-Nur group of the largest Darfur ethnic group, Fur, and the Massalit. But, by the end of 2005, another splinter group mainly from the Massalit ethnic group formed another group (G19).
“All these people come back to the movement and I hope you will hear about others very soon because we are invest huge efforts for the reunification of the SLM. Our principal objective is to engage talks with the Sudanese government united.”
Al-Nur urged the international community to support these efforts to bring back together all the SLM factions in order to help for the success of the talks with the Sudanese government. He underlined that these efforts constitute the first step for a lasting peace.
“The reunification of the movement paves the way for achieving peace and security for the people of Darfur; the international community should back these efforts and facilitate the holding of meetings and consultations” he said
He said that United Nations should play a significant role in peace talks with Khartoum.
(ST)