Darfur rebel leader in London to seek political alliance
June 24, 2007 (LONDON) — Ahmed Abdelshafi, the leader of a faction of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement has arrived to London to discuss ways of political joint action with the leader of Sudan Federal Democratic Alliance (SFDA); Ahmed Ibrahim Diraig.
Ahmed Diraig is one of the founding members of the National Redemption Front (NRF) created on June 30, 2006 in Asmara, with the Justice and Equality Movement of Khalil Ibrahim and another faction of the SLM. However, it seems that the NRF partners have failed to work together. Last week the rebel JEM expressed readiness to hold talks with Khartoum, without mentioning its allies.
Abdelshafi further said that a meeting would be organized in Mombassa, in Tanzania to reunite the movement in the coming days and invitations have been extended to all the SLA commanders to participate in the meeting.
Asked whether he invited Abdelwahid al-Nur also to the meeting, Abdelshafi retorted that invitations are extended to all the SLM/A leading members.
The partisans of Abdelshafi announced from Asmara on July 28, 2006, the removal of Abdelwahid al-Nur from the chairmanship of the movement and designed him at the head of the group. Since, Abdelshafi says he wants to reunite the group. However, still there are important efforts to be exerted to achieve this goal because al-Nur also has engaged a reunification process among the rebel commanders.
Speaking about Paris conference on Darfur, he expressed hopes that this meeting would focus on the political solution of Darfur crisis. “But the political solution doesn’t mean Abuja deal” he further addded.
According to Abdelshafi the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) signed in May 2006 between the Sudanese government and a faction of the SLM led by Minni Minawi is not a valid choice for Darfur people.
“Insisting on the DPA, as a base for the settlement of Darfur crisis, would lead to the failure of the ongoing efforts to end the conflict” he said.
He also said the hybrid operation agreed earlier this month does not provide sufficient number of troops to protect Darfur civilians. He described the AU command of the operation a bad sign for the future of the AU-Un peacekeeping mission.
“The African Union troops have already failed to complete their mission during the past two years. So, we expected that European forces would take part in this operation because they have the necessary experience and means to secure the efficiency of the peacekeeping mission.”
A force made up of U.N. and A.U. peacekeepers would replace a 7,000-member A.U. force now in Darfur. The ill-equipped and underfunded A.U. force has been unable to stop four years of warfare that have left more than 200,000 people dead.
Sudan agreed last week to allow up to 19,000 peacekeepers in Sudan, fewer than the 23,000 envisioned in the original U.N. plan.
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Kifly Merhu
Darfur rebel leader in London to seek political alliance
I think that the so called faction leaders are putting their personal egos above the plight of their people. How do they want to unite by creating a new faction in every corner daily. I don’t know how to term it, is that lack of political maturity or naivity.