Sudan government and JEM trade accusation over stalled peace talks
March 28, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese government and the Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) exchanged accusations over the failure to break the deadlock in the current peace talks taking place in Ndjamena and Doha.
Amin Hassan Omer who is Khartoum’s chief negotiator in the Darfur talks was quoted by Sudan official news agency (SUNA) said that JEM signed a goodwill agreement “but is practicing the exact opposite on the ground”.
He further said that JEM did not release government POW’s as it has committed in the accords they signed.
The Khartoum government, which fought a devastating war with Darfuri rebels, released 57 JEM members in February after agreeing to a truce and the framework for peace talks however, later it re-arrested 15 of them.
Omer said that the Chadian government “has given up on JEM and abandoned them” after brokering the framework agreement signed in Doha in late February.
JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim has pushed a negotiation paper to Sudanese presidential adviser Ghazi Salah Al-Deen Al-Attabani in Ndjamena containing demands for posts including Vice president, federal ministers, diplomats, judges and other civil service positions.
Ibrahim is currently in Doha for talks with his negotiating team in which he reportedly told them that the truce agreed upon is obsolete.
Sudan’s chief peace negotiator said his government is committed to finalizing an agreement before April 5 or adjourn talks till after the a new elected government takes over.
JEM spokesperson Ahmed Hussein on his end blasted Khartoum accusing it of preparing for a new military offensive.
“There is an airlift from areas of Damazin, Gadaref, North and South Kordofan and Khartoum and sent to El-Geniena in West Darfur” adding that enforcements are building up for days.
The rebel official added that Khartoum is under pressure from opposition parties internally leading to disagreements within the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) making it difficult to reach a compromise with JEM.
Hussein also accused Khartoum of breaching the ceasefire agreement despite JEM being committed to it and rejected setting a deadline for concluding the talks as set forth by the government delegation.
Talks between Khartoum and JEM have since run into trouble and a deadline set under the accord for completing the peace deal passed on March 15 without agreement.
Shortly afterwards, the Khartoum government signed a framework peace deal in Doha with the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), another rebel group that forms an alliance of splinter factions.
The Agence France Presse (AFP) quoted sources in Chad saying that JEM is prepared to tone down its demands in return for a delay to the national multi-party elections due to be held on April 11-13.
But Sudan has said there is no reason to postpone the presidential, legislative and local elections, despite calls from Western observers and opposition parties for a delay.
(ST)