JEM’s Tugud calls for international support to comprehensive peace in Sudan

May 27, 2013 (PARIS) – International community has to reconsider its position on the ongoing efforts to bring peace in Sudan, said Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) chief negotiator on Monday.

Ahmed Tugud was in Paris on Monday where he met with officials in the French foreign affairs ministry to brief them on the recent developments in the country.

France condemned the killing of a JEM dissident leader, Mohamed Bashar, who signed a peace agreement with the Sudanese government last April in Doha. Paris also was following with concern the recent clashes in South and North Kordofan between the rebel groups and the government army.

“The recent events demonstrate clearly that any process not seeking a comprehensive solution for the Sudanese crisis is doomed to failure”, said Tugud alluding to the capture of Abu Kershola by the Sudanese Revolutionary Forces (SRF) fighters.

“The current situation on the ground has overcome all the processes set up to settle peacefully the Sudanese problem”, he further said stressing that any dialogue will fail if it does not intend to radically reshape the political situation.

JEM, like the SPLM-N, proposed in the past months to unify the negotiations with the Sudanese government under one mediation and one process.

The rebels also believe this holistic process should include all the opposition political forces to discuss the root causes and solution of regional conflicts but also to reestablish a democratic regime in the country.

Khartoum refuses such approach saying separate talks with the SPLM-N should be based on the implementation of outstanding issues in Blue Nile and South Kordofan in a protocol included in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005.

For talks with Darfur groups, JEM and Sudan Liberation Movement factions, Sudanese government and international community agree that Doha Document for Peace in Darfur should be the basis of any negotiations to end the 10-year conflict in western Sudan’s region.

Tugud said the international community should change its position from the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF ) and its perception on how to bring peace in Sudan.

He also called on the international community to support the idea of regime change as means to reach a lasting and sustainable peace in Sudan.

The Sudanese army announced on Monday evening the seizure back of Abu Kershola while Al-Bashir declared no peace more peace talks with rebel groups in Sudan.

(ST)