Sudan gives April 2 as deadline to reach Darfur peace deal
March 21, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese Presidential Adviser in charge of Darfur file, Ghazi Salah Al-Deen gave 2nd of April as deadline to reach a peace deal in Darfur, disclosing he will meet rebels in Chad next week.
The two parties are expected to end talks in the Chadian capital Ndjamena and to arrive in Doha, official venue for the talks, in order to tackle the remaining issues in the peace negotiations.
Darfur rebel groups have until April 2 to sign a final peace agreement, Ghazi said today in the Sudanese capital. He also said optimistic regarding the outcome of the ongoing talks with the rebel group stressing that international pressures would force JEM to bow to reality and move toward peace.
He also said he would travel to the Chadian capital for additional meetings with JEM chairman Khalil Ibrahim to assess “whether he is resolved to reach a final peace agreement”.
The Sudanese presidential adviser further said JEM has changed its mind on the issues delay of elections and the exclusion of the other rebel Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) led by El-Tijani El-Sissi.
JEM had threatened to pull out of the peace process if the mediation integrates LJM in the peace talks. The later is a coalition of splinter factions led by a former governor chosen for his ethnicity, Fur tribe, and never took part in the armed struggle, the rebels say.
The Sudanese official praised the role played by Chad saying the improvement of bilateral relations with the neighboring country has positively impacted the peace process. He also underscored “positive efforts” exerted by the US special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration adding they did not observe any “negative role” by the American official in the ongoing process to end the conflict.
(ST)