SLM chief dismisses reports about meeting with Sudan’s FVP in Chad
October 30, 2008 (PARIS) — Abdel-Wahid Al-Nur, the chairman of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) denied reports that he would meet the Sudanese First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayadrit in the Chadian capital, Ndjamena.
The rebel chief was reacting to reports published in the Sudanese capital Khartoum saying that the Chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement would meet Al-Nur and the chief of the Justice and Equality Movement Khalil Ibrahim in Chad.
A SPLM delegation met Ibrahim and agreed with him to hold “very soon” a meeting with Salva Kiir. JEM good relations with the Chadian government make possible that such meeting could be held there but the SLM – chief has no relations with Chad.
Salva Kiir, had committed him self since long time to contribute to the resolution of Darfur conflict; a legacy burden that the late John Garang committed him self to achieve before the international community. In the context of the Qatari initiative Kiir could help to persuade rebel leaders to take part in this regional and international effort.
Al-Nur also cut short speculations about his possible trip to Doha to meet Qatari officials over mediation they declared want to undertake to end the five year conflict in Darfur, last September.
The SLM-chief said he is a peace lover and reiterated his commitment to negotiate a just deal saying “it’s our families and partisans who populate the camps in Darfur and abroad” However he stressed that “because of them we can’t begin any talks unless the security on the ground is provided to Darfur people.”
Al-Nur urged the different parties that want to contribute in a way or another to end this conflict and broker a peace agreement to press Sudanese government to stop attacks on the civilians in Darfur before any talks.
“Every time someone speaks about peace initiative, Khartoum increases attacks on the civilians because they see it as a means to weaken our position before negotiations,” he explained.
The government troops and militias intensified their attacks during the last two months against the positions held by Al-Nur commanders in Darfur. The IDPs organised earlier this month a protest against the Qatari mediation saying it aims at delivering Sudanese president from international Justice.
Hussein Abu Sharati, the spokesperson of Darfur IDPs told Sudan Tribune they remain opposed to such a move as long as the villagers and IDPs are attacked and their land is not returned.
Fighting in Sudan’s Darfur region is displacing 1,000 civilians a day and the United Nations-led peacekeeping force is unable to quell the violence, UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon said, in a report released on October 21.
More than 230,000 civilians have fled their homes in 2008 due to violence in Darfur, where fighting between rebel and government troops has raged for almost six years, Ban said in his latest report to the UN Security Council.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, puts that number at 300,000.
(ST)