Sudan optimistic for agreement with Darfur rebels before donor meeting
March 28, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese government chief negotiator and state minister Amin Hassan Omer expressed hopes that a peace agreement be concluded with the Justice and Equality Movement – Mohamed Bashar (JEM-Bashar) before the donors conference.
The minister was speaking in Khartoum after a meeting of the High Follow-Up Committee for Peace in Darfur (HFCPD) headed by First Vice President Ali Osman Taha. The participants including Tijani Al-Sissi, chief of Darfur Regional Authority (RDA) discussed the preparations for the conference and the talks with JEM – Bashar.
Amin told the official SUNA he briefed the HFCPD on the outcome of the negotiations with JEM-Bashar in Doha where the parties have initialed an agreement on three issues and still discussing the power sharing and military arrangements.
The rebel group demanded a number of positions at the level of Darfur Regional Authority and the state governors. However the government did not disclose what they offer.
Amin said that JEM-Bashar was consulting on the offer the government made on the political participation and integration of troops without elaborating.
The mediation however encouraged the two parties to move forward and to sign an agreement before the donors conference as it hopes that the participants can commit themselves and give the six billon needed to fund the different recovery and development projects.
Nine days before the Doha donors conference, Al-Sissi left Khartoum Thursday heading to Moscow where he is expected to meet the Russian officials and encourage them to participate in the donors gathering.
Al-Sissi stated that Nyala meeting on the voluntary return agreed to establish a committee involving the displaced persons, refugees and war-affected persons to prepare the repatriation operations.
(ST)