Rebels call for negotiations on “Sudanese issues in Darfur”
November 25, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) proposed that the agenda of the African Union-brokered process on Darfur include national issues, reiterating its rejection of partial solutions.
“This agenda for a Declaration of Principles addresses Darfur, regional and national issues of the conflict as defined by the AUHIP and resident [Thabo] Mbeki, as the conflict of Sudan in Darfur. This agenda thus addresses Sudanese issues in Darfur and sets out a path for a peaceful solution to the national problem,” said the rebel group in a two page text seen by Sudan Tribune.
Since the 23 November delegations of the government, JEM and SLM-MM started talks on a cessation of hostilities and security arrangements in Darfur.
The negotiations should pave the way to a national process for peace and constitutional reforms in Sudan.
On Tuesday, the head of the government negotiating delegation, Amin Hassan Omer, once again renewed his rejection for discussions on national or regional issues, saying they are in Addis Ababa to discuss a truce on the basis of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).
Omer reiterated that the Doha framework agreement is the document of Darfur stakeholders but not the government or the rebels.
The AUHIP mediators, on Tuesday, held a meeting with the two rebel groups to discuss their proposals for the Declaration of Principles.
The rebel delegations in their position paper said the discussion must include “simultaneous cessation of hostilities for humanitarian purpose, protection of civilians, creating and enabling environment and enhancing international monitoring mechanisms”.
The two group said that as well as security arrangements the talks should also handle political status of Darfur, power-sharing, wealth sharing, reconstruction and development during the transitional period, refugees and IDPs, land, borders and nomad issues, justice and reconciliation, compensations
According to the joint position, the discussions should also incorporate binding guarantees for implementation of the agreement, commitment to hold the national dialogue with approach articulated in the African Union decisions and core principles to guide the dialogue process.
The mediation is expected to prepare a draft declaration of principles and to propose it to the two parties for more discussions.
Last week, JEM’s chief negotiator, Ahmed Tugud Lissan, told Sudan Tribune they want an agreement in consistence with the notion of two tracks one peace process, as provided in the peace plan adopted by the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) last September.
“We want to create a new track (in Addis Ababa) parallel to the existing track for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). This eventually means that the DDPD and its outputs are no longer debatable or even being considered,” Lissan said.
(ST)