Darfur rebel faction merges with JEM
March 17, 2009 (PARIS) — A leading rebel commander today joined the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) saying that disunity and divisions among Darfur forces have compromised the cause of the western Sudan region.
Adam Ali Shoggar, a former commander of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) signed today in undisclosed area in Darfur a merger agreement with the rebel JEM. According to the accord, Shoggar and his SLM Field-Leadership group are incorporated under the leadership of Khalil Ibrahim.
Speaking to Sudan Tribune following the signing of the agreement, Shoggar said this deal was reached after three months of negotiations between the two rebel movements. He also said they agreed to merge under the name of JEM because “what is important is to struggle together for the rights of Darfur people with the same vision and objectives.”
He further called on the “brothers in arms” to put divisions aside and to work to under single leadership because of the “critical juncture” in the region.
Earlier last month JEM signed a goodwill agreement to negotiate a peaceful settlement of the six year conflict in Darfur. The rebel movement also required to hold separate talks with Khartoum. The move angered the other rebel groups and also triggered the reunification of breakaway factions in Tripoli, Libya last Sunday.
Adam Shoggar had broke away with Khamis Abdella Abakr from the rebel United Resistance Front (URF) led by Bahar Idriss Abu Garda on July 27. The URF had been created from five factions in Juba in April 2008 after talks sponsored by the former AU-UN envoys for Darfur.
Last July, he had told Sudan Tribune he would work for the reunification of the SLM groups and factions. Today he underlined that all his efforts in this direction have failed.
The new rebel coalition, which established in Libya last week, includes SLM Unity of Ibrahim Yahia, the URF of Abu Garda, SLM Khamis Abdella Abakr, JEM-Idris Azraq faction, and SLM Juba-Unity. The five groups said they agreed to take part in Doha peace process with one delegation and adopted common grounds for the negotiations.
JEM spokesperson Ahmed Hussein Ahmed hailed the courageous stance of Shoggar and praised his devotion for the cause of Darfur people since six years. He also renewed the call for other “Darfur movements” to follow Shoggar’s example and adhere to the unity of Darfur forces.
(ST)