Darfur rebels want to change peace talks’ venue from Libya

November 4, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Darfur rebel groups, which rejected to attend the AU-UN mediated talks in Sirte, demanded to change the peace talks’ venue from Libya to South Africa.

In a meeting held in Juba with the visiting US envoy to Sudan, Andrew Nastios Darfur rebel movements which are there since last month, requested to transfer the venue of the peace talks with Khartoum government to South Africa.

According to a report published by the independent Al-Sahafa, the rebels suggested Ghana and Liberia besides South Africa.

The different rebel groups said that Libya is not a neutral country in the four year conflict. They also added that they expressed their preference to hold the talks in South Africa since Arusha meeting and the mediators were aware of this demand.

However, a member of the joint mediation team told Sudan Tribune that the rebels agreed in the conclusions of Arusha meeting to organise the talks in one of the countries of the regional initiatives.

A rebel delegate who was in Arusha retorted that they were under huge pressures in Tanzania from Egypt, Eritrea and Libya and this is why they didn’t express their demand explicitly but they informed the mediation team verbally of this demand and they had agreed.

“It was a gentleman agreement,” said a rebel delegate.

The question is expected to be raised during a meeting between the African Union and the UN mediators with the recalcitrant rebels in Juba next week.

AU and UN envoys are to travel this week to the southern Sudanese capital of Juba and to Darfur to try to persuade recalcitrant groups to join the talks.

While the talks have not been officially suspended, key players have left and Sudanese press reports speculate serious talks will resume in three to four weeks while civil society workshops continue in the Libyan city of Sirte.

(ST)