European mediators to organise talks in Chad between Sudan and Darfur rebels

KHARTOUM, March 18, 2004 (Sudan Tribune) — European mediators engaged in a series of contacts between Sudanese government and rebel groups from western Sudan to hold a regional Conference outside the Sudan on the Darfur conflict, Sudan Tribune learned.

Agreed to organise the talks in the Chadian capital N’djamena, the Chadian government is closely involved in the initiative to convince the western rebels to participate in the talks.

Earlier, Chad mediated talks between the government and the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) that led to a nominal ceasefire from September to December 2003. The cease-fire broke down indefinitely amid mutual recriminations.

Both the SLA and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) repeatedly affirmed, the presence of international mediators is a precondition for further talks.

Several delegations from Darfur rebels are invited to visit different European capitals to discuss the agenda of peace conference, this upcoming week.

Last week, the Khartoum-based independent daily Al Ayam reported that US, European, and African preparatory meeting would be held between Khartoum and the Darfur rebels on March 25.

Sudanese State Foreign Minister Najeib al-Khair Abdel Wahab neither confirmed nor denied the Al-Ayam report when contacted by AFP last week: “No comment,” he said.

Since February, last year, a rebellion erupted in Darfur amidst charges that the central government failed to promote economic development of the Chad neighboring impoverished region.