JEM rejects Sudan’s call for rebel participation in peace talks
February 13, 2009 (DOHA) — The rebel Justice and equality Movement rejected Khartoum’s call to the other rebel groups to join the peace talks in the future. The two stakeholders negotiate since four says a framework agreement before to begin negotiations in Doha.
Nafi Ali Nafi, the head of the Sudanese government delegation to peace talks with the JEM called yesterday on the rebel movements to join future talks in the Qatari capital that are mediated by the joint mediator Djibril Bassolé.
Nafi said that the government is keen to see all the rebel movement taking part in the talks to reach a peace agreement ending the six year war in Darfur.
The head of JEM delegation to Doha talks Gibril Ibrahim, in a statement broadcasted by Alalam TV, rejected the call saying such appeal should only be issued by the AU-UN mediator after discussion with the current parties. He also added that this call should include civil society sectors of women, youth and displaced persons and refugees.
JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim, last year, had proposed to hold separate peace talks with the Sudanese government. He had demanded that the former U.N. Secretary General to mediate it. Nafi Ali Nafi had excluded talks through the proposed mediation and said ready to meet them without any mediator.
Since the adoption of the Qatari sponsorship and the appointment of the joint mediator Bassolé the mediators opted for talks with the main rebel movements, JEM and the SLM mainstream led by Abdel Wahid Al-Nur. However the SLM founder said he would take part in the talks only if Khartoum implement ceasefire and disarm militias.
Gibril Ibrahim denied that the JEM wants to oust the other movements in Darfur, but he added they reject obstructing negotiations by small factions that do not have real existence on the ground. He further accused Khartoum of attempting to divide rebels and manage the dialogue by creating a cacophony of views.
The head of JEM delegation also accused the media of creating huge aspirations and hopes making people believe that the parties would sign a peace agreement in Doha meeting while the reality is far from that.
He added they came to Doha with a clear plan of action that starts with the adoption of building confidence measures, followed by negotiation of a framework agreement providing the cessation of hostilities, and only after that the parties would draw up a detailed table for the peace talks.
Ibrahim underscored that the talks were making progress and moving positively to reach its goals.
The leader of the rebel movement, Khalil Ibrahim, had to leave Doha yesterday but Amin Hassan Omer, a member of the government delegation, said Nafi and Khalil Ibrahim held a meeting on Friday evening in presence of the mediators without elaborating on the discussed issues.
Sources requesting anonymity said the two parties discussed the draft of framework agreement proposed by the mediators.
JEM insists on the confidences building measures while government delegation still rejects to discuss the measures saying it should be part of the negotiations.
Besides the release of JEM members, confidence-building measures include bringing a halt to harassment of IDPs, a halt of forced repatriation of the displaced, and the cessation of air strikes on civilians.
(ST)