Darfur rebels reiterate rejection of Libya talks

October 26, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Two of Darfur main rebel groups today reaffirmed they will not attend U.N.-African Union mediated peace talks in Libya, a move that dashing any chance of an immediate deal to end 4-1/2 years of war in western Sudan.

Leaders of Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement-Unity faction (SLM-Unity) on Friday confirmed that they will not participate in Sirte peace talks. In a joint statement issued following a meeting they held in Darfur, the leaders of the two movements said they boycott the talks because of the mediation failure to coordinate with them and its biased attitude in favour of Khartoum government.

In a six-point statement signed by Khalil Ibrahim and Adballa Yahya, the rebel leaders blame the mediation for not coordinating with them during the preparation for these talks. They also say that the mediation failed to determine parties of the talks.

Khalil Ibrahim had warned he would not attend talks where dissident group is invited.

Since the end of Abuja talks, the two main rebel groups which had participated in the first talks contest the neutrality of the African team of mediation. This is why the former UN chief Kofi Annan had insisted during a meeting in November 2006 to involve a UN mediator besides the AU top mediator.

However the African team with his experience and knowledge during two years remained the leading one in the preparation of the talks. Khalil Ibrahim tried to amend his relations with AU envoy but it didn’t continue for long time.

In their joint statement the rebel leaders accuse the mediation of inviting smaller groups to the talks. They say Sudanese government instigated this invitation to weaken and exclude the main rebel forces.

The rebel statement also address a message to the Libyan leader who said two days ago that Darfur displaced want to stay in the camps to benefit from the international aide. He also said Darfur crisis is a small tribal one and the international community gave it another dimension.

The rebels request the mediation team to come to Darfur and to meet them in order to discuss preparations, and format of the peace process. They also say the timing of the talks and the role of the mediation should be debated with them before the talks.

The two movements reaffirm that the question of Darfur is a plight with political, economic, social and cultural dimensions and could not be reduced to a “dispute over a camel”. They also added that Darfurians were forced under the threat of killing and rape to leave their villages and go to survive in the camps.

JEM leader had good relations with the Libyan leadership as it was the case for many groups. The mediators explained their choice to Libya as venue of the peace talks by saying that Libya can “deliver rebels.”

Gadhafi statements also angered the SLM leader who said “I’m asking, if the international community really respected our people, why do they want to put us in a country which doesn’t even recognise a human disaster and genocide against our people,” Abelwhaid al-Nur said.

International experts say 200,000 people have died since rebels rose up against the government in 2003 charging it with neglect. The Sudanese government says the Western media exaggerates the crisis and only 9,000 people have died.

(ST)