JEM leader arrives soon to Darfur peace venue – Qatari minister
January 31, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — The leader of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) is expected to arrive to Doha during the next days, said the Qatari state minister for foreign affairs in statements to the official SUNA on Monday.
Khalil Ibrahim resides in Libya since seven months after being barred by Ndjamena from crossing to Darfur through the Chadian territory. JEM at the time walked out of the peace process after the start of parallel talks between the government and the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM).
JEM and LJM issued on 29 January a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to the Doha forum and their intention to work together for an inclusive and a comprehensive peace agreement.
“We, the undersigned agree to meet in Doha by the 5th day of February 2011, to demonstrate a common commitment to peace and justice for our region and our country, said a statement signed by Khalil Ibrahim and Tigani El-Sissi.
Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud said Khalil Ibrahim will arrive to Doha during the upcoming days as the government’s negotiating delegation will be in Doha on Monday, showing optimism to reach a peace agreement soon.
Minister Al-Mahmoud was speaking from Addis Ababa where he and the Joint Chief Mediator Djibril Bassole attended a special meeting on Sudan attended by President Omer Al-Bashir, his first deputy Salva Kiir Mayardit and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon among others.
Yesterday Amin Hassan Omer, Sudan’s top negotiator to the Doha peace talks slammed the aggressive ton adopted by JEM and LJM towards his government in a joint commitment to the Doha peace process where they rejected the internal process that Khartoum plans to implement there.
The Sudanese official warned that they are not ready to resume negotiations but want a “productive peace process”. The minister was referring to the demands on power sharing made by the rebel LJM.
Sudanese government and LJM rebels ended talks last December without agreement on the status of Darfur region and the appointment of a Darfurian as vice-president of the republic. The government also rejected a compromise made by the mediators to establish a regional authority headed by a vice-president from the region.
Amin said his government will not close the talks if the rebels are ready to sign a final peace agreement. He further added that the solution of the Darfur conflict is not contingent upon negotiating with Darfur rebels.
The Sudanese state minister was alluding to the government strategy to end Darfur conflict from inside the country without the rebel groups.
Sudan’s defense minister Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein and Amin Hassan Omer were last week in Tripoli, Libya, to discuss Darfur conflict with the Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi.
The Libyan leader pledged to support the Doha process and the signing of a peace agreement there, Amin declared at the end of the visit without elaborating.
Sudanese government wants JEM rebels to sign a ceasefire agreement instead of a cessation of hostility deal they are negotiating. Khartoum sought to get the Libyan support to convince JEM leader to start talks on this issue and to resume direct political talks.
UN chief Ban Ki-Moon, yesterday in Addis Ababa said concerned by the crowing violence in Darfur and urged belligerents to stop hostilities and negotiate a peaceful settlement to the eight year conflict.
“Now is the time to step up our encouragement to the parties, to advise them that there will be rewards for peace, and consequences for further conflict.”
(ST)