Darfur armed groups agree to unify peace negotiating position
August 31, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Four armed groups in Sudan’s Darfur region have agreed to unify their negotiating position before to engage in talks with the transitional government in the near future.
The joint statement was signed by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Sudan Liberation Movement – Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM), Sudan Liberation Movement – Transitional Council (SLM-TC), and the Sudan Liberation Forces Alliance (SLFA) from the South Sudanese capital on Saturday.
The four groups are participating in consultation meetings hosted by the South Sudanese government within its efforts to facilitate a comprehensive peace process to settle the armed conflicts in Darfur, the Blue Nile and South Kordofan, three regions on the common border between the two Sudans.
The joint statement reaffirmed that peace remains their first strategic choice, stressing that it should address the root causes of the Sudanese problem and tackle the effects of war and marginalization.
Further, JEM, SLM-MM, SLM-TC and SLFA said they will participate in the “peace negotiations with one negotiating position and a joint negotiating delegation”.
In the same trend, they pledged to consult and unify their political positions towards all national issues.
More, they renewed their commitment to the declaration of a cessation of hostilities to create a conducive environment for peace.
The divided armed groups in the western Sudan region have been blamed for hampering regional and international efforts in Darfur.
In 2017, the United States decided the lift of economic sanctions on Sudan and refused calls to wait until a peace deal is struck in Darfur blaming the armed groups of obstructing peace.
“We reject all methods of exclusion practised by the Center on the pretext of efficiency and refusal of quotas”.
The JEM, SLM-MM and SLM-TC are part of the Forces for Freedom and Change but the large coalition refused their demand to allocate them a quota in the transitional cabinet.
In reaction, the forces of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front refused to endorse the Political Agreement and the Constitutional Declaration.
(ST)