SPLM’s Amum, rebel delegations discuss Darfur national conference

August 19, 2008 (LONDON) — Sudan People’s Liberation Movement Secretary General held talks with two Darfur rebel movements on the expected national conference on Darfur and the ongoing preparation to hold it.

Pagan Amum, who visits the British capital London, met last week with delegations from two rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Ahmed Abdel-Shafi.

The Sudan People’s Initiative means to gather representatives from all the national political forces, the civil society and different traditional and political forces in Darfur including the rebel groups opposed to Abuja peace agreement.

The two peace partners, National Congress Party and SPLM, held a series of meeting to fix their joint vision for the themes of the conference. SPLM delegation during these preparatory meetings was led by Pagan Amum with deputy secretary general Yasir Arman and Adel-Aziz Hilu who is in charge of Darfur file.

In his meeting with the JEM delegation led by Jibril Ibrahim, an executive bureau member and brother of chief of the movement, the parties agreed to discuss the conference within two week in Juba during a visit from the rebel group besides issue of mutual concern related to the political situation in the country and their joint cooperation.

However the SLM-Abdel Shafi delegation, led by its secretary for external relations, Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim and Abdel-Latif Ismail, the secretary of information, rejected the Sudan People’s Initiative.

The rebel delegation argued that Khartoum means, through such initiative, at “buying time to commit more crimes.” They also added that there are no liberties in the country to guarantee freedom of expression during the conference.

On the other hand, the SLM faction called upon the SPLM to exert more efforts to reunite the rebel groups.

The Sudanese president during a recent tour in the three states of Darfur province pledged to convene a national conference to discuss a roadmap to end the five year crisis he also said Darfur social and political forces including the rebel groups will be invited to take part in this national gathering.

The SPLM Secretary General will fly from London to Washington where he will join a SPLM delegation to attend the Democratic and Republican convention at the end of this month.

(ST)