JEM rebels urges Darfur mediator to set out “clear strategy” for peace

October 11, 2009 (PARIS) — The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) urged the Joint Mediator to frame a “clear strategy” for the Doha peace process and to stop the different interferences.

Khalil Ibrahim, JEM leader, met with Djibril Basole in the Chadian capital Ndjamena last Friday to discuss the ongoing efforts to end the six year conflict in Darfur. The African Union – UN mediator met also with the Chadian President Idriss Deby.

JEM signed a goodwill agreement with the Sudanese government last February but the talks between the two parties stalled as the rebel group demands to implement two clauses in the confidence building deal related to the improvement of humanitarian situation and the release of over 100 fighters detained by Khartoum.

“The leadership reaffirmed our commitment to Doha peace process. However we asked the mediator to define a clear strategy for the peace process, said JEM spokesperson Ahmed Hussein Adam who was speaking from London.

The mediation should also reaffirm its independence and resist attempts to derail the process from its initial trajectory, the rebel official said.

Ahmed who denounced the tribal approach advocated by “some facilitators” said they raised the issue and participation of the civil society as well as reunification process of rebel groups that “have no presence on the ground,” he said.

“All these issues would complicate the peace process and prolong the suffering of Darfur civilians because they would not end the conflict,” he said, adding that the regional and international communities have to coordinate their efforts and work behind the mediator.

However the rebel official pointed out they are not against the participation of nongovernmental groups but under the current situation in Sudan and Darfur particularly such a forum would be infiltrated by government elements that will spoil its function as an expression of the civil society.

He also said that Khartoum has to implement the Doha goodwill agreement before to resume a peace process that had initiated with the Sudanese government.

Last June talks between the Sudanese government and JEM rebels failed to reach an agreement on the two issues of humanitarian situation and prisoners’ release. The rebels at the time blamed the mediation’s failure to force Khartoum to implement what they had mediated.

Asked about the visit of Presidential adviser Ghazi Salah Al-Deen who is in charge of Darfur dossier to Chad, Ahmed said they have been welcoming any attempt to reconcile Sudan and Chad, adding they are not concerned by the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Ghazi held talks with the President Deby yesterday on the normalization of bilateral ties. The two parties agreed to implement a number of measures they had agreed in the past signed deals particularly Tripoli and Dakar agreements.

(ST)