Sudan rules out separate talks with JEM on Darfur peace
March 19, 2008 (KHARTOUM) –Sudanese government top negotiator to Darfur peace talks has ruled out one-on-one talks with a Darfur rebel group outside the current joint mediation brokered by the United Nations and the African Union.
The influential Nafi Ali Nafi, the presidential assistant and the head of Sudanese government delegation to Darfur peace talks, on Wednesday excluded talks through a new mechanism other than the UN-AU mediation.
Nafi pointed out that they do welcome direct dialogue but “We will not do it officially and separately with Khalil [Ibrahim] or with Abdel-Wahid [al-Nur] en presence of foreign observer except through the mechanism of the existing UN-AU mediation.” He said.
The Sudanese official further added “For Khalil if he wanted dialogue alone we have no objection but we do not accept any mediator whether Kofi Annan or the current mediation.”
Sudanese state minister of Information and Communication, Kamal Obeid, had welcomed the move saying “If Ibrahim is serious, the government does not have any problem for holding the negotiations at any place.”
Local Arabic language press linked JEM leader proposal to the last week signing of no-aggression agreement between Chad and Sudan and the rapprochement between the National Congress Party and the Popular Congress Party of Hassan al-Turabi.
JEM is thought to have the largest military rebel force in Darfur and has gained extra prominence in recent months through a series of clashes with government forces. But other groups, chief among the Sudan Liberation Army led by founder Abdel-Wahid al-Nur, have huge support among Darfur’s displaced populations.
Khalil Ibrahim had many times expressed frustration towards the current joint mediation asking them to negotiate with him the agenda of the talks and to invite only the main groups that had taken part in Abuja peace talks, JEM and SLM mainstream of al-Nur.
(ST)