Sudan and LJM rebels to sign framework agreement next week

March 11, 2010 (DOHA) — The newly formed Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) is expected to sign a framework agreement with the Sudanese government next week in Doha before kicking off separate peace talks.

The other powerful rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), signed a framework agreement with the government on February 23 but objected to the participation of LJM in the negotiations proposing the latter should unite first with it in order to have one voice to confront Khartoum.

The LJM’s factions said they can coordinate position with JEM but rejected JEM’s proposal for unification, saying they have different political orientations. El-Tijani El-Sissi, a former governor of Darfur province from the Fur ethnicity, was chosen as chairman of the group.

Tadjadine Bechir Niam, LJM secretary for peace negotiations, told Sudan Tribune on Thursday they agreed with the mediation to sign the framework agreement next week in order to start the peace talks.

“We agreed during a meeting held today with the Qatari state minister for foreign affairs and the joint chief mediator to sign the framework agreement between 17 and 18 March and the mediation will undertake preparations for the signing ceremony,” Niam said.

The framework agreement is expected to include a ceasefire and the main topics to be discussed by the two parties will be power and wealth sharing, disarmament, return of internally displaced persons and refugees, compensation for conflict-related losses, and the administrative status of Darfur.

Niam stressed the keenness of their movement to integrate all the other factions that had refused at first to be part of the LJM, stressing they are discussing the issue with them.

Some chiefs and officials of these groups have returned to Doha after at first refusing to integrate with the LJM when the group was announced on February 23. Abdallah Yahia and Osman Bushra of SLM-Unity, and Gabir Hassaballah of SLM-Abdallah Khalil are presently in Doha while Osman Riffa, another member of the latter group, is expected to return there soon.

Earlier this week, JEM agreed to start negotiations with the Sudanese government after two weeks of delay to discuss the LJM issue. JEM disputed the existence of a separate peace process and also asked Khartoum to give priority to peace in Darfur by postponing the general elections scheduled for April.

LJM officials had been angered by the delay of the signing of the framework agreement and threatened to withdraw from the talks, accusing the mediation of listening to JEM threats to pull out of the peace process if a separate agreement is signed with this group.

Analysts say that the mediation had wanted to focus first on government-JEM talks, which are supposed to conclude with the signing of a peace deal before March 15, as it is agreed in the framework agreement.

(ST)