Darfur rebel group denies joining peace process

January 24, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – A Darfur rebel group has denied reports that it had accepted under certain conditions to join peace talks being mediated by African Union High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP).

The Popular Congress Party (PCP) political secretary Kamal Omer, told reporters following a meeting with the AUHIP chief, Thabo Mbeki, that the Sudan Liberation Movement Abdel-Wahid al-Nour (SLM-AW), expressed readiness to join the dialogue process inside Sudan provided that certain guarantees are offered.

Omer who is member of the dialogue committee known as 7+7 further said that al-Nur requested holding exploratory meetings to discuss procedures pertaining to the dialogue.

However, a SLM-AW spokesperson Mohamed Abdel-Rahman al-Nayer denied the “alleged news” adding that the leader of the group did not recently met with the chief mediator to discuss this matter with him.

“The real peace must start first with the security which stops the killing and bombing of civilians and rape of women. It should also imply the disarmament of the government militias,” Al-Nayer emphasised.

The SLM-AW last November refused to join a round of talks organised by the AUHIP between the government and a joint delegation of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the SLM-Minni Minnawi.

Mbeki arrived Saturday in the Sudanese capital where he met with the political forces to discuss the national dialogue conference. He is expected to meet president Omer al-Bashir on Sunday.

Last September, the Peace and Security Council of African Union tasked Mebki’s panel with the Darfur crisis hoping to bring Khartoum and all the rebel groups in the Two Areas and western Sudan to participate in a national conference for peace and constitutional reforms.

FIGHTING IN JEBEL MARRA

In a separate statement issued on Saturday, the SLM-AW military spokesperson Mustafa Tampor said they repelled an attack by the government forces and claimed killing over 70 of its forces.

Tampor said they ambushed the assailants who were riding camels and horses as they attempted penetrate into the rebel held area on the north-west side of Jebel Marra.

He added they destroyed three four-wheel drive vehicles and captured two others.

The Sudanese army military spokesperson was not reachable for comment on this fighting.

The government forces are carrying out attacks on the rebel positions in mountainous massif of Jebel Marra which located in the center of Darfur.

The recent wave of clashes in east Jebel Marra displaced over 18,000 people who moved to the IDPs camps in the main towns of North Darfur state.

(ST)