Darfur Minnawi to meet Gadhafi in Tripoli

December 1, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese senior presidential assistant Minni Arcua Minnawi left Monday for Tripoli on a three-day visit to meet with Libyan leaders for talks on the Darfur crisis.

The former rebel will meet with Libyan Leader Muammar al-Gadhafi and brief the Libyan leadership on the latest developments of the peace process in the war ravaged region.

Sudan offcial news agency (SUNA) also reported that Minnawi will meet with some of the rebel groups that refused to sign the peace agreement.

More than two years ago the Sudanese government has signed the DPA with the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction led by Minnawi who was appointed as the senior assistant of the Sudanese president in August of the same year.

Minnawi’s faction persistently accused the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) of ignoring the implementation of the DPA.

He left Khartoum this year to Darfur for a few months and only returned after signing an agreement with Sudan 2nd Vice President Ali Osman Taha promising to implement the DPA.

Many of Minnawi’s troops and commanders deserted him after he came to terms with Khartoum, and he is now trying to convince additional rebels to join the government.

Sudan recently completed a government-initiated forum that made
recommendations for how to solve the conflict in Darfur. The President
of Sudan Omer Al-Bashir then initiated a ceasefire, but rebel groups
declared that he was not sincere. Subsequent reports from UN officials
and rebel leaders indicated that the ceasefire was breached.

(ST)