Darfur mediators meet rebel JEM over peace talks
November 6, 2007 (LONDON) — A delegation from the UN and African Union (AU) mediators met today with representatives of a key rebel movement in a bid to convince them to join Darfur peace talks with Khartoum government.
Ahmed Hussein Adam, the spokesperson of the Justice and Equality movement told Sudan Tribune that a delegation from the joint mediation met Tuesday at an unspecified location in Darfur with a JEM delegation headed by Chief negotiator Ahmed Tugod Lissan.
Ahmed Hussein, who welcomed the visit, said JEM has reaffirmed its keenness to achieve peace in Darfur. However, he reiterated JEM demands for “full ownership of the peace process.” He further said that infantilizing the rebel groups is not a good choice the sake of peace in Darfur.
He underscored that mediators should better learn to deal with rebels as mature movements. The rebel spokesperson said also that “We should be treated on equal foot because the mediation has to hear our point of view with regard to the forma and the procedural measures.” Why they just talk with Khartoum and ignoring us in every thing? This is not a behaviour of neutral mediator.” He added.
The Justice and Equality Movement rejected to attend the AU-UN brokered peace talks in Libya to end the four year-conflict where more than 200,000 have died and 2.5 million driven from their homes since rebels took up arms in early 2003..
Ahmed further said rebels should be involved in the issue of the parties invited to attend the peace talks. He said the mediation brought to Sirte non representative groups which have no real weight on the ground just to please Khartoum government.
JEM spokesperson said they informed the mediators of their demands urging to redress its management of the peace process. He further said that credibility of the mediators is determinant to ensure successful talks.
Ahmed further said Khalil Ibrahim, the chairman of the Justice and Equality Movement should meet the UN envoy Jan Eliansson and AU envoy Salim Ahmed Salim in the coming days.
The joint mediation team have sought to make contact with rebel factions that boycotted the Sirte peace talks in an effort to begin effective negotiations in December.
Mediators met in the past few days with six factions from the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) in the southern town of Juba but apparently failed to make any progress.
Eight rebel factions, including the most important, stayed away from the Libya talks, casting a pall over the bid to end the Darfur violence estimated to have killed 200,000 and displaced two million in four years.
NEW FICTITIOUS REBELS
Ahmed further told Sudan Tribune that the ruling National Congress Party is creating new rebel groups in the troubled region of Darfur. According to the rebel spokesperson, the purpose of this move is to invite these new fictitious groups to join the peace talks and invent entities favourable to Khartoum, poised to sign an eventual accord.
He disclosed they have information that Khartoum had provided 160 pickups to a former militia leader called al-Humaini in a bid to create a new rebel group.
Ahmed urged the international community “to not cooperate with the regime” because this would be “a betrayal” for the cause of Darfur people, he said.
DEPLOYMENT OF THE HYBRID FORCE
He also reminded that the command of the Hybrid Operation should contact the rebel groups in order to review the deployment of the 26000 force in Darfur.
Ahmed said we want a swift deployment for the troops on the ground. Also he underscored that the deployment should be parallel with the political process because peace deal can facilitate the role of the international troops to restore security in the region.
He added that these forces should come from democratic countries respecting human rights, also troops providers should not be from states supporting Khartoum in the crimes committed in Darfur.
A joint 26,000-strong UN-AU peacekeeping force is due to be fully deployed some time next year in Darfur, to replace an ill-equipped and under-funded AU force deployed in the region since 2004.
(ST)