Darfur rebels say fighting for 25% of power sharing in Sudan
By Isaac Vuni
October 13, 2007 (JUBA) — A Darfur rebel faction attending a unity meeting organized by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Juba said fighting to have 25% of power sharing in federal government.
“We are fighting to demand our right of 25% of power sharing from the central government but not for separation,” the Deputy Chief negotiator of Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) – Collective Leadership who is also the Spokesperson of the group, Tadjadine Bashir Niam, has told Sudan Tribune.
JEM- Collective Leadership is a new breakaway group led by Bahar Idriss Abu Garda on October 4.
In an interview with Sudan Tribune, Tadjadine said their demands would be of power sharing, wealth sharing and participation of Darfurians in both the central and regional governments, adding that they would also demand for reconstruction of Darfur including compensation of Darfurians who lost their houses and wealth from “the start of government atrocities on the innocent people in Darfur.”
Speaking on behalf of Darfur rebel factions attending Juba meeting,.he said they are absolutely going to unite their efforts in order to achieve their aspiration for betterment of Darfur people.
“Our people in Darfur are asking us to unite and we in various movements, this time round have no choice but to heed to their request through SPLM mediation efforts,”. Niam said.
However, he underlined with concern that previously Darfurian movements were unable to come together for face to face dialogue than phones communications among various leaders. Nevertheless, he praised the SPLM and the government of southern Sudan for offering them a golden opportunity for ironing out their differences before the scheduled peace talks in Libya on October 27th this month.
“Regrettably the international community has failed to unite our factional groups, but this time round, Darfur rebels are confident that SPLM, the ruling party in Southern Sudan will lead us to unity because of their previous experiences in negotiating peace with trickily government of Khartoum,” remarks spokesman of Darfur collective leadership, said Tadjadine.
“For the first time we are here to meet each other face to face because of SPLM courtesy”
He further said their unity would be driven by the level of political marginalized and continues social injustice compounded with lack of service provisions by Khartoum government since Sudan became independence 50 years ago.
The negotiator of Darfur‘s JEM-Collective Leadership,.Tadjadine Bechir Niam, went on saying that Khartoum government talks a lot but does little in realizing durable peace in Sudan. He hails the move by SPLM Political Bureau of suspending their participation in central government in Khartoum.
“We have a lot of experiences with Sudan government that says much but does little”
He added “The central government can avoid war only by granting the rights of south Sudanese and Darfur people otherwise they risk serious division of Sudan into either three or four countries,” warned Tadjadine.
“We can live in one united Sudan if CPA is properly implemented in the manner it was negotiated and signed and unless all the marginalized Sudanese are treated equally without referring to their ethnicity or religion belonging for the presidency position in Sudan.”
Tadjadine wondered why Khartoum government makes it difficult for a south Sudanese to become a president of the Sudan.
The Darfurian rebels delegations including independent field commanders arrived Juba the capital of southern on October 11th at 11pm for a reconciliation and unification talks due to kick of by Monday.
(ST)