Sudan rules out peace talks with Darfur rebel JEM

May 30, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese government will not negotiate a peace deal with Darfur rebels who attacked the capital earlier this month, president Omer Hassan al-Bashir said today.

Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo on Friday Sudanese president reiterated the committeemen of his government to negotiate with Darfur rebel movements in order to reach a comprehensive settlement to the five year conflict.

However, al-Bashir told the media that the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) aims at achieving other objectives than Darfur issue. “We do not consider JEM as part of Darfur movements nor has a link with Darfur issue” he said.

The Sudanese president added that JEM wants to topple the existing political system and to replace it. “For JEM the issue is about regime change in Khartoum.”

He further said that Sudanese political forces have agreed on the peaceful exchange of power and political forces will compete in the general elections next year. He also mentioned the ongoing discussions to the electoral law.

Although Al-Bashir concluded that JEM is not part in the equation of Darfur nor in the equation of the peaceful exchange of power “and so we have no reason to negotiate with the Justice and Equality [Movement].”

JEM carried an attack on Khartoum twin’s city of Omdurman on May 10. Following the foiled coup Sudan said that JEM carried out the attack to revenge against an attack by Chadian rebels on N’djamena last February. Since the government describes the rebel group as terrorist movement.

(ST)