Darfur groups welcome new African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki

February 3, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Two Sudanese rebel groups from Darfur region Thursday welcomed the election of Moussa Faki as new chairperson of the African Union Commission.

Faki who last week was picked by the African leaders for the position, vowed to place development and security at the top of his agenda. As former Chadian foreign minister he was involved in the regional efforts to end the Darfur crisis since several years.

In separate statements the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement – Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) extended a warm welcome to Faki and wished him success as the new Head of Africa’s executive body.

“The SLM expect him, as a new Commissioner, to use his august office and exhibit more earnest steps to judiciously expedite and enhance AU’s efforts in resolving Sudan’s long standing conflict particularly in Darfur and the two areas,” said Trayo Ali, SLM-MM chief negotiator in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune

JEM’s leadership “wishes the best of luck and success to Minister Faki and hopes that his choice contributes to the transition of the African Union to new diplomatic spaces and to achieve (regional) security, stability, peace-building, development and democracy,” said Ahmed Tugud Lissan JEM top negotiator.

During his campaign, Faki said that he harboured dreams of an Africa where the “sound of guns will be drowned out by cultural songs and rumbling factories”. He pledged to streamline the organisation during the course of his four-year term in office.

In statements to the Radio France Internationale (RFI) on 23 January, Moussa Faki said that AU needed strong leadership from someone who could “refocus on the basics”, adding that the regional body had only implemented less than 15% of the 1,800 resolutions adopted since 2002.

The African Union is brokering peace talks between the Sudanese government and opposition including the armed groups.

(ST)