Darfur LJM denies divergences with Sudan’s ruling party over new cabinet

December 11, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — Tijani el-Sissi, leader of the former Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) denied divergences with the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) over the appointment of its members in the new cabinet.

The members of a large new cabinet took the oath on 10 December in Khartoum. The coalition government did not include ministers of LJM members as rumours circulated about divergence over the ministerial portfolios given to the former rebels.

In accordance to a power sharing deal signed on 16 July between the two signatories of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), the former rebels on the national level will be represented by a minister and two state ministers.

While Sissi is appointed at the head of Darfur Regional Authority, it was believed that Bahr Idris Abu Garda, LJM Secretary General, would be appointed minister of economy and finances. The rebels also thought they will get a post of foreign affairs state minister.

Speaking at a debate organized by the daily Akhbar Al-Youm on Sunday, Sissi dismissed difference with the ruling National Congress Party over the participation of his group, stressing they proposed the name of LJM secretary general for a ministerial position without elaboration.

But LJM requested to not announce the name of its ministers in the national government because the Movement is considering who would be part in the regional bodies and who will participate in the national instances, he further underlined.

The group is supposed also to take the head of a new state to be announced in central Darfur, and a number of ministerial positions in the Darfur state governments.

Unconfirmed sources also say Abu Garda might be named presidential adviser at the Sudanese presidency.

Among the vacant ministerial portfolios in the new cabinet, there are the minister of health and the minister of humanitarian affairs.

Some LJM members showed frustrations in statements published in the Arabic language press over the important number of ministerial posts accorded to the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani in the first cabinet after the secession of South Sudan.

A LJM anonymous official wondered in statements published by Al-Sahafa daily how the DUP is granted three ministerial positions, and two state-ministers besides an important position of presidential assistant while they did not hold arms against the government, sign an international agreement nor have the burden of 500,000 refugees who want to return to Darfur.

(ST)