Sudan calls on Libya to put pressure on Darfur rebel leader

June 22, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese government renewed its call for Libyan authorities to exert greater pressure on the chairman of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement Khalil Ibrahim to rejoin the peace talks, held in the Qatari capital Doha.

On 19 May, Tripoli accepted to receive JEM leader after the refusal of Chadian authorities to allow his entry to Ndjamena and the withdrawal of his passport. Khalil had suspended JEM participation in the peace negotiations accusing Qatar of favoring Sudanese government.

Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Khaled Muawiya on Tuesday said in a press statement that the Sudanese government hopes that the residence of Khalil in Libya is just a “transient but not permanent”, revealing the continuing contacts with the Libyan authorities on the issue.

He further reiterated that Doha talks for peace in Darfur would continue if JEM participates or not.

Earlier this month the Libyan foreign minister Mousa Kousa, speaking in Cairo where he attended an Arab League meeting said that his government would not eject Ibrahim from its territories.

He further stressed that Libya cannot respond positively to an extradition request by the Sudanese government because his country is mediating in the Darfur issue and therefore it will not surrender a figure who is a party to the conflict.

Reliable sources speaking from Tripoli said Libya believes that the peace talks should now be moved to Tripoli adding that the neighboring country is well placed to conduct successfully the process and has the needed leverage to press on the two sides.

Khalil Ibrahim who had rejected in 2007 to participate in the peace talks brokered by Tripoli has recently called to transfer the process to Libya reaffirming his rejection to Doha as venue for the peace talks.

In November 2007, Sudanese government and the international community had supported the Libyan sponsorship of the peace talks as Tripoli had been seen as able to deliver rebels to the process.

Last year, Tripoli was able to reunite six factions in one movement called SLM Revolutionary Forces. The later with another coalition of rebel groups supported by the US envoy to Sudan forged the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) which is negotiating nowadays in Doha with the Sudanese government.

(ST)