Two Darfur rebel SLM groups merge

October 15, 2008 (AL-FASHER) — Darfur’s historical rebel movement has joined forces with a rival rebel group to pool resources in their 5-year war against the government in Khartoum, it was announced today.

The Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel-Whid Mohamed Al-Nur and the Sudan National Liberation Movement (SNLM), led by Col. Jabir Mohamed Hassab-Allah, said today they agreed to sign a reunification deal and to joint their efforts to defend the rights of Darfur people.

The move comes in the context of the ongoing efforts to reunite Darfur fighters on the ground under the banner of the historical SLM. “It is the result from our firm conviction that no solution for Darfur conflict without our unity” said a joint communiqué issued today in Tarni in North Darfur.

Among the most important commanders that rejoined Al-Nur Movement today with the Col. Hassab-Allah, Salah Mustafa (Bob), Abdallah Ahmed Abu Tanga, Bushara Al-Tayeb, and Adam Ahmed.

The joint statement called on the other factions of the SLM to take advantage of this event and to intensify efforts to unify the movement.

The SLA spokesperson Abdel-Rahman Adam Nimer, told Sudan Tribune that Tarni Declaration would be followed soon by other reunifications soon. “This is just the first communiqué others will follow soon,” he said.

“We are condemned to reunite and work together to face the future challenges” said Nimer, pledging that today merger is the starting point in a big reconciliation move among the different SLM factions.

“This agreement was achieved without external mediation and without external pressure,” he added.

On July 28, the founder of the Sudan Liberation Movement, Al-Nur addressed a call to all the SLM/A factions urging them to reunite under the Umbrella of the movement. “Time of unity has come. It is high time for us to gather and settle our differences what ever the reason was,” he said.

The former Darfur mediators had been criticised by the Sudanese government for their failure to reunite the rebel groups. Salim Ahmed Salim and Jan Eliasson spent much of their time trying to reunify the rebel factions, but their approach was criticised.

Qatar showed interest recently to host peace talks in Doha in the coming months. However, the new joint mediation team and the host country seem resolved to deal with the two main rebel groups who had been involved in Abuja talks.

Soon rebel delegations would be invited to Doha to discuss the modalities of the talks, the Qatari authorities said last week.

The Sudan Liberation Movement splinted after the dissidence of Minni Minawi, the former secretary general of the unified SLM in November 2005. However, the fragmentation of the rebel movement increased after the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement between the Sudanese government and Minawi in May 2006.

(ST)