Darfur Referendum Row: JEM stops talks as LJM says peace process must go on

April 5, 2011 (DOHA) — The rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) suspended its participation in the negotiations with the government to protest against the presidential decree to hold a referendum on Darfur administrative status.

While the other rebel group participating in the peace talks, Liberation and Equality Movement (LJM) reiterated it will continue the negotiation on the administrative status disregarding what Khartoum does in this respect because they are not concerned by any other measure undertaken outside the framework of Doha Forum.

Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al Bashir issued last week a decree to hold a referendum on the administrative status of the region and charged the national electoral board to organize it. Presidential adviser in charge of Darfur file Ghazi Salah Al-Deen said the plebiscite is part of Abuja peace agreement and they have to enforce this deal particularly in the absence of a new peace accord.

Observer however agree that Khartoum, by doing so, wants to put pressure on the rebel groups which refuse to desist from their demand for a regional authority to administrate the province.

“The presidential decree related to the referendum on Darfur administrative paralyzed completely the negotiating process in Doha,” said JEM spokesperson Gibreel Adam Bilal. “We, in JEM, do not see any interest to keep talking with the government if the status of Darfur will no longer be decided here,” he further added.

“Until we get more clarification from Khartoum through the mediation , we decided to stop the negotiating process with the government”

“Khartoum should withdraw this decree and show more willingness to resume talks because we cannot hold talks over secondary matters while the major issue is withdrawn from the negotiating table,” he further emphasized.

In a letter handed to the three parties on Monday 4 April, the mediation renewed its reassurance to the rebel groups stressing that the presidential decree on the referendum should not discourage them from reaching a negotiated agreement on the administrative status of Darfur.

The Joint Chief Mediator Djibril Bassolé and the Qatari state minister for foreign affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud urged the parties to submit by Thursday 7 April their final observations and proposed amendments on the largely approved four chapters as well as on the two pending chapters related to the power sharing, security arrangements and final ceasefire.

After encouraging them to engage direct talks on the disputed issues, the mediation told the three parties that the outcome of all these talks will be debated in the general conference of Darfur stakeholders expected to be held by the end of April.

Recently JEM and LJM agreed to coordinate their political positions on the talks with the government. Also JEM resumed talks with Khartoum on the basis of documents already discussed by the government and LJM.

The international community welcomed the move as it shows more seriousness from the rebel groups and gives a margin to put more pressures on Khartoum in order to make some concessions.

During his last week visit to Doha, President Omer Al-Bashir renewed Khartoum’s commitment to the Doha process and pledged to negotiate a political settlement on the administrative status of the region with rebels in Doha.

LJM chief negotiator, Tadjadine Beshir Niam, slammed JEM’s position to stop the talks with Khartoum even if the group maintains its delegation in Doha.

“This is a wrong decision and we disapprove it,” he said. “Our policy is based on keeping negotiations with the government and to not in any case retract from our announced positions.”

Niam said they proposed to JEM to endorse their positions on the four chapters and to determine a joint position in the talks over the two pending issues.

“This will allow us to have a solid position on the most important issues otherwise JEM would exclude themselves from the process,” he warned.

When asked about the talks with the government, JEM spokesperson said they froze all the direct talks with the Sudanese government even they did not hand their position on the fourth chapter dealing with the wealth sharing to the mediation.

(ST)