SLM Minawi summons 3 commanders to contact the military command

Dec 27, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — A former rebel group which signed a peace deal with the Sudanese government summoned three commanders who reportedly rejoined the holdout groups to contact their military command.

The Sudan Liberation Movement faction led by Minni Minawi requested three of its field commanders to contact their military command within one week.

According to al-Sudani newspaper the SLM-MM convened Mohamed Ali Klai, Mohamed Hamid Darbayen and Salah Mustafa Jok to present them selves to the military command of the faction.

This move confirms statements made by Darfur holdout rebel groups that leading commanders from Minawi faction had joined the rebellion.

Minawi who signed the Darfur Peace Agreement with the Sudanese government in Abuja on 5 May suffers important defections from his troops since the signing of the peace deal.

The former Political advisor of Minawi Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim addressed an appeal on 17 December to the Presidential Senior aide urging him to rejoin the rebellion. Ibrahim said in his letter to Minawi that his retraction from the deal is a “national duty”.

According to his former partisans, Minawi had signed the DPA in spite of the opposition of his delegation to the deal. After the signing, he promised to hold a general conference of the group to approve the agreement; but he never did.

Sudanese president has publicly said that most of Minawi followers have joined the holdout rebel groups.

(ST)