Darfur rebel groups meet mediator, say ready for talks with Sudan
July 1, 2009 (PARIS) — A group of Darfur rebel movements have expressed their readiness to join Doha peace process and to discuss the modalities of their participation with the Sudanese government in a meeting held with AU-UN Chief Mediator in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Monday June 29.
Abu Garda and other four rebel factions, in a meeting sponsored by the Libyan government in March of this year, already showed their willingness to join the Doha process and signed a joint position paper on the peace talks. Khartoum had welcomed the move.
The signatories of March common ground agreement are: Sudan Liberation Movement – Unity led by Abdallah Yahya, the SLM led by Khamis Abdallah Abakr, the SLM – Juba faction, the Justice and Equality Movement- Azraq faction and the URF of Abu Garda.
“The Mediator encouraged the movements to negotiate a framework agreement whose final objective is to define the contents and modalities of the final and inclusive peace talks that are intended to result in a global peace agreement,” said a statement issued by the mediator.
Bassolé, who expressed his satisfaction for the confirmation by the rebels for Doha as venue of the peace negotiations, told the insurgent groups he would propose a date for a consultation meeting with the Sudanese government.
He also stressed the need for a ceasefire agreement with the government as part of confidence building process between the warring parties to facilitate political dialogue. The joint mediator further pointed out that such agreement would improve the security and created favorable condition for the return of the displaced civilians to their homes.
Since last February the Darfur peace process begun in Doha between Sudanese government and the Justice and Equality Movement. But since the talks are at deadlock over difference related to the implementation of a goodwill agreement they had signed.
JEM, which initially asked for separate talks with Khartoum, says the other rebel groups can join the peace process but only their leader Khalil Ibrahim should sign the final peace agreement at the end of the talks.
Bassolé during the meeting praised the “coordination and unification” process established by the Tripoli group and encouraged them to pursue their contact with JEM and SLM of Abdel Wahid Al-Nur in a way that the existence of many rebel groups does not affect the talks and “constitute an obstacle to the construction of peace in Darfur.”
Al-Nur refuses to join the Doha process asking Khartoum to disarm its militias and return the IDPs to their homes before to engage any form of negotiations.
(ST)