INTERVIEW: Rebel leader rejects “partial” solution to Sudan conflicts
February 13, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement Abdel-Wahid Mohamed Nur (SLM-AW) said that his group intends to vigorously defend the stance of the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) and to utilise all available platforms to push for a comprehensive solution to the existing conflicts in Sudan and repel what he described as attempts by some SRF members to accept partial accords.
Nur told Sudan Tribune today that they are eager to accomplish peace and put an end to the war’s ravages which affected ordinary citizens, noting that over the past 10 years they met with all regional and international officials who served as mediators in Darfur.
The rebel chief met this week with the African Union-United Nations joint special representative/joint chief mediator, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, in Kampala.
The UN official met with other Darfuri rebel leaders who did not sign the peace agreements with Khartoum, including Minni Minnawi (SLA/MM) and the Justice and Gibril Ibrahim from the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), to follow-up on the outcomes of the technical workshop on peace and security in Darfur held in Addis Ababa last December.
“I am encouraged by my discussions with the movements and their positive but cautious consideration of the Government’s calls for reconciliation and national dialogue. As the Mediation we will engage with all the parties to turn these hopeful signs into concrete steps towards peace for Darfur and Sudan”, Chambas said in a press statement.
Nur said that his talks with Chambas was for the purpose of explaining the SLM-AW point of view, as well as that of the SRF on the need to seal a deal which ensures the achievement of a just and comprehensive peace in the country, while reiterating their rejection of partial solutions.
“We rejected the Sirte talks, Arusha, Doha and Arusha again, because there is a call coupled with conditions that reject a comprehensive solution and achieving security. Days have proved the correctness of our position and all partial agreements have failed”, he explained.
He stressed that the meeting did not include or result in anything that would push for new negotiations on Darfur conflict or joining the Doha peace agreement adding that they want to explain how to achieve peace in Darfur.
The rebel leader noted that the participation of Khatir as an SPLM-N expert in the negotiations highlights the SLM-AW position in the direction of reaching comprehensive solution. He emphasized that all SRF members have an obligation to defend the unity of the alliance which they established.
“We must defend the SRF unity against the attempts of regional and international forces to decouple the Sudanese crisis and continue the failed partial solutions. The SRF unity is the guarantor to achieve a comprehensive solution and the principles that we promised the people of Sudan, which is a regime change and building a state of equal citizenship”, Al-Nur said.
In a related issue JEM denied reports that it intends to engage in negotiations with the government in Doha, emphasising that it would not sit at the dialogue table away from the SRF which should be brought in as an observer with an emphasis on holding a constitutional conference away from partial solutions.
(ST)