JEM rebels criticize the mediation over Darfur peace document
June 14, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — The rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) today slammed Darfur mediators saying the peace document they are presenting to the regional and international partners is not adopted by the stakeholders meeting.
Tugud said that this document does not express the will of the stakeholders conference and JEM. He further called on the international community to not support it “because this document would not achieve peace in Darfur and we will not be part of this farce,” he emphasized.
Over 500 delegates met in the Qatari capital from 27 to 31 May to discuss a document the mediation prepared as basis for comprehensive peace negotiations between the government and the different rebel groups in Darfur.
The Joint Chief Mediator Djibril Bassolé said this framework will also serve as a joint platform for the rebels who failed to sit together to achieve an inclusive and comprehensive settlement to the eight year conflict in Darfur.
Speaking from Cairo where they handed the Peace Document to the secretary general of the Arab League Amr Moussa, Qatari state minister for foreign affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud told reporters that talks between the government and any rebel group will be based this document.
He added that the government and rebel groups will be called to agree on a peace deal emanating from this document.
Last week, Sudanese government and JEM delegations met in Doha to discuss ways to resume peace talks after the conference. But the rebel group said it was surprised by an offer from Khartoum to hold talks only on the security arrangements and JEM’s participation in central government and Darfur states institutions.
JEM said they want to include all the chapters of the peace document to the agenda of the talks.
Gibreel Bilal Adam, JEM spokesperson, said they were expecting that the mediation will call on the parties to engage talks based on the outcome of the stakeholders conference and not to call on the parties to sign the document as a peace agreement.
He further said they had already refused the text of the document when the mediation presented it for the first time in April “because it was not comprehensive at the level of the addressed topics and does not include all the parties”.
Gibreel called on the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) to not ink an agreement with the government stressing it would not bring peace in Darfur. “they should understand that the demands of Darfur people are not included in this document and these demands are certainly not the position of vice-president,” he added.
The Sudanese government and the LJM rebels agreed to refer their difference over the post of vice-president and Darfur referendum to the mediation which should present a compromise before to sign a peace agreement.
Ghazi Salaj Al-deen presidential adviser in charge of the Darfur file told reporters in Cairo that the peace agreement with LJM rebels is ready to be signed and they are only finalizing some technical aspects.
He further said the non-signatory groups will get three months to sign a peace agreement.
Ghazi added that the mediation through its current tour, aims to brief the regional and international partners on the content of the peace document seeking to secure their support and pass up the lack of international endorsement that Abuja agreement had faced.
(ST)