Sissi signs political alliance deal with another Darfurian group
August 31, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The leader of National Liberation and Justice Party (NLJP) and chairman of Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) Tijani al-Sissi has signed a political cooperation agreement with a splinter faction of Dabajo group.
The signing of the political alliance intervenes as al-Sissi is facing a strong rejection by his peace partners: the Liberation and Justice Party (LJP) of Bahr Idriss Abu Garda and the Justice and Equality Movement led by Bakheit Dabajo (JEM-Dabajo).
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Khartoum, the NLJP leader however stressed that this agreement is not directed against any other party but seeks to bring Darfur to what he called “the wider national space”.
He further called on the Darfurians to distance themselves from ethnicity and tribalism, adding “I’m not inclined (to support the idea) that our parties and movements be on the name of Darfur, and that is the problem,” he stressed.
NLJP president is embattled in a struggle for the DRA chairmanship. His detractors accuse him of not consulting them in the management of the region’s matter. They further say that al-Sissi who is a Fur dignitary ignored the areas of the other ethnic groups in the allocation of development projects.
From his side, Banat disclosed that the memorandum pave the ways for merger of the two groups.
Rifts between the groups signatory of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) have become a source of concern for the government after a recent fight between a group of LJP supporters with NLJP members during the launch ceremony of development projects in Khartoum attended by government officials and diplomats.
President Omer al-Bashir formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the circumstances of the incident as he is expected to issue a number of decisions related to the organisation of the regional authority within two week.
(ST)