Sudan says neighbors sought to scupper Darfur peace efforts
June 5, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – A Sudanese official has blamed the embattled Libyan leader Muammar Al-Gaddafi and the deposed regime of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak for failure to reach a settlement to the conflict in Sudan’s western region of Darfur.
“The international and regional race to intervene in the conflict has brought about the fragmentation of rebel groups until they reached 41 movements,” Hasabu told the audience.
Hasabu, who is also a member of the government’s negotiating team to Darfur peace talks in the Qatari capital of Doha, said that Libya and Egypt had sought to scuttle Darfur peace talks with total disregard to the interests of the region’s people.
According to the Sudanese official, the Libyan leader Muammar had fomented the conflict in Darfur by funding and supporting rebel groups. He further said that Al-Qaddafi had sent his men to Doha to persuade rebel groups to demand relocation of peace talks to Tripoli.
Separately, Hasabu said the government had availed Darfur rebel groups a period of three months to sign the draft document for Darfur peace as proposed by the Qatari mediators, stressing that the government would not accept to hold negotiations outside the purview of the proposed draft.
The mediation team in Doha floated a draft framework document for peace in Darfur to serve as a ground for negotiation between the government and rebel groups. The document, which was endorsed late in May by delegates at the All Darfur Stakeholders Conference, is yet to be signed by the Justice and Liberation Movement (LJM), which is the only group currently engaged in the process.
Darfur peace talks are boycotted by the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Abdel Wahid Al-Nur and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) led by Khalil Ibrahim.
(ST)
Paul Ongee
Sudan says neighbors sought to scupper Darfur peace efforts
Hasabu Mohamed Abdul Rahman,
It’s too early to rejoice about the modest progress made so far with only one rebel group. It’s still a long journey to bring the key rebel groups of SLM-Nur and JEM-Khalil who keep Khartoum sleepless. Are there no any hostilities going on in Darfur or will there be no more tomorrow? Where is the guarantee that fighting cannot break out any time if military means is extensively used by Khartoum to force some people to show up in Doha without permanent cease fire in place?
I would say it’s a good gesture but a lot needs to done to bring real peace and freedom to the people of Darfur. I don’t believe that agreement will be allegedly signed within two or three weeks as reported by media last week.
Paul Ongee
Khartoum Watch