Two SLM factions agree to coordinate actions in Darfur
February 20, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Two factions of the historical Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) agreed to coordinate their actions, vowing to work for the reunification of the first Darfurian rebel group.
The joint text, which is signed by Minni Minnawi and Nimir Mohamed Abdel-Rahman, further says they agreed to work together and coordinate political, diplomatic and military efforts to topple the government of the National Congress Party and rebuild the country on democratic and decentralised bases.
The signatories further admitted the need to achieve the full reunification of the historical SLM in the future, pointing this agreement paves the way for bringing back together all the SLM factions.
The Sudanese army and government militias launched a large-scale offensive on the positions of the SLM factions in the mountainous Jebel Marra in North and central Darfur.
Khartoum said its forces managed to retake strategic positions from the rebel while some SLM factions say they repelled the assailants.
In November 2011, three groups from Darfur region including the SLM-AW, SLM-MM, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) formed the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).
However, only the SLM-MM and JEM accepted to participate in talks brokered by the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel in a process aiming to bring all the rebel groups to join a national forum on Sudan’s issues with the participation of the government and opposition parties.
Abdel Rahman who was the SLM-AW former spokesperson, the deputy chairman Abu Elgasim al-Haj, the deputy general commander Mohamed Adam Abdel-Salam aka Tarada, and other commanders were relieved from the group in June 2014.
(ST)