Darfur JEM leader to Egypt Sunday as rebels meet Sudan officials Monday

February 7, 2009 (PARIS) — The leader of the Justice and Equality Movement will visit the Egyptian capital tomorrow for talks on Darfur peace process, while a delegation from the rebel group will meet a delegation from the Sudanese government on Monday.

Khalil Ibrahim JEM chairman, will arrive tomorrow in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on the ongoing efforts to hold peace talks between the Sudanese government and the rebel groups to end the six year conflict in Darfur.

Ahmed Hussein Adam the spokesperson of the rebel movement said Ibrahim will discuss the Qatari sponsored imitative and the role that Egypt can play to facilitate attempts to reach a lasting peace in Darfur.

He also underlined the historical relations between the two countries and Egyptian humanitarian support to Darfur IDPs as well as its participation in the peacekeeping force destined also to protect civilians in the war torn region.

Khalil Ibrahim visited Egypt for the last time in February 2007. Cairo condemned the attack carried by JEM rebels on the Sudanese capital last May and arrested Ahmed Tugud, JEM top negotiator for several days.

Arab ministerial council formed on September 9, a ministerial body co-chaired by the Qatari Prime Minister, Hamad bin Jasim, Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Jean Ping and Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa.

The panel is charged with the organization and sponsorship of peace talks in Qatar between the Sudanese government and the rebel movements. Also, the committee should coordinate its efforts with the AU-UN Joint Chief Mediator for Darfur Djibril Bassolé who will mediate the talks.

JEM was unwilling to Arab involvement in the peace process. Darfur rebels also slammed Arab and African efforts to suspend the indictment of the Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court.

Weeks before the end of his mission, Williamson the former US envoy for Sudan said that Egypt has to be used to advance the Qatar peace initiative on Darfur.

SUDAN AND JEM TO DISCUSS CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES

A delegation from the national unity government led by the presidential assistant and the government chief negotiator Nafi Ali Nafi will meet a rebel delegation led by Gibril Ibrahim, the JEM Economic advisor in the Qatari capital on Monday 9 February.

Earlier this week, Darfur mediator Djibril Bassolé discussed with the rebel movement steps to undertake before to begin the peace negotiations. JEM reiterated the need to agree on necessary measures to build confidences between the two parties before the talks.

These confidence building measures include the release of JEM fighters detained or sentenced after a raid on Khartoum last May, to avoid IDPs harassment, the halt forced repatriation of the displaced, and cessation of air strikes on civilians.

If the parties agree on these measures, they should engage discussions to adopt a declaration of principles on the root causes of the conflict and the way forward to end the conflict.

Ahmed Hussein said JEM, through its participation in this meeting with Sudanese government, wants to send a strong message to show its commitment and seriousness to achieve peace in Darfur.

He also stressed that they are going to take part in this meeting with an open mind “despite the fact that the government’s conduct does not bode well.”

The rebel official was alluding to the attacks carried this week against JEM positions in northern Jabel Marra and the control of Muhageriya in south Darfur by the Sudanese army after two weeks of fighting.

However observers wonder how Sudanese government and JEM only can meet in Doha to define a framework for the resolution of a conflict that includes different parties. The failure of Abuja peace agreement and the current situation of Minni Minnawi should serve as lesson for the two parties, said a western analyst.

However, Ahmed Hussein Adam said they are going to be inclusive for all the Darfur forces “only this step would be discussed alone with the government”. He added they are keen to include all representatives of the IDPs, the civil society forces.

(ST)