Sudan pushes for a peace agreement with one rebel group in Darfur
May 19, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – A Sudanese presidential adviser met Thursday in Doha with the Joint Chief Mediator and Qatari state minister for foreign affairs to discuss ways to sign a peace agreement with one of the two rebel groups participating in the Darfur peace process.
International community envoys present in Doha to follow the peace process are skeptical that an agreement with one group might bring peace in Darfur while the violence would continue against the other rebels, as it was the case after the Abuja peace agreement.
During his meetings with Djibril Bassole and Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud, Ghazi Salah Al-Deen proposed to sign a peace agreement with LJM rebels before or after a stakeholders conference that would be held in Doha, probably next July, disclosed from Doha a Sudanese official who requested anonymity in statements to the semi-official Sudan Media Centre (SMC).
The Sudanese government said another process for dialogue in Darfur will start after a referendum on Darfur’s administrative status and the signing of the peace agreement with LJM rebels.
The Sudanese official further refused to delay the signing of the peace deal until the conclusions of talks with the JEM, accusing the rebel group of indecisiveness during the talks. Also he criticized their demand to bring a delegation from Darfur.
JEM and LJM failed this week to find common ground in the talks with the Sudanese government. JEM propose a national approach while the LJM wants to discuss issues purely related to the affected Darfur region. However, JEM asks for a semi-autonomous government while LJM asks for regional authority besides the existing territorial administration system.
Princeton Lyman, U.S. envoy to Sudan urged the participation of Abel Wahid Al-Nur and Minni Minnawi in the Doha peace process. The two rebel leaders signed last week an alliance agreement, as Al-Nur works to reunite the Sudan Liberation Movement.
(ST)