SLM-MM boycotts Cairo workshop, citing need for accountability and Darfur-focused approach
Port Sudan, Sudan – January 24, 2024 – The Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM), headed by Minni Minawi, announced its decision to boycott the Cairo workshop on security and humanitarian concerns in Darfur, organized by Promediation, a French conflict resolution group, and the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
This announcement comes after several participants in the workshop indicated the participation of the SLM-MM alongside other Darfur movements aligned with Tagadum, the anti-war coalition of civilian forces, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
SLM-MM leading members informed Sudan Tribune that their delegation, which met with the organizers on Tuesday to explain their position on the workshop, did not engage in any workshop sessions.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the SLM-MM said its boycott of the workshop was in harmony with their abandonment of neutrality in the ongoing conflict. This withdrawal is based on the alleged genocide committed by the RSF against a specific ethnic group in West Darfur, human rights abuses committed in areas under the movement’s control, and the recruitment of foreign mercenaries to engineer demographic change in Sudan, recalled the statement.
The movement underscored its demand for “Accountability for all those who have committed crimes against the Sudanese citizens before we can sit with them as partners in workshops, especially such a workshop in which we only see the same group that lined up behind the RSF in the name of (Tagadum).”
The SLM-MM further stated that, after abandoning neutrality, it believes that any ceasefire arrangements should be made within the framework of the Jeddah process and the implementation of the humanitarian agreement reached in May 2023.
Finally, the movement expressed its disapproval of the workshop’s focus on aid delivery in Darfur and security in El Fasher, excluding other regions of the country. The SLM-MM believes that this approach serves a “hidden agenda to divide Sudan into mini-states”.
The workshop, scheduled to conclude on January 25, has drawn participation from the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)-Suleiman Sandal’s faction, the New JEM led by Mansour Arbab, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Transitional Council (SLM-TC) led by al-Hadi Idris, the Gathering of Sudan Liberation Forces (GSLF) headed by al-Tahir Hajer, and the Path Forces Alliance, which encompasses military forces in Libya. A representative of the RSF is also participating.
The Sudanese army has denied reports about its participation in the workshop, stating it has not received any formal invitation. At the same time, the JEM and the SLM led by Mustafa Tambour have announced their boycott of the workshop.
(ST)