Sudan’s Darfur JEM rebels to boycott AU summit in Chad

KHARTOUM, Feb 14, 2005 (Akhbar al-Yawm) — The Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) signed a cease-fire agreement with the Sudanese government in Ndjamena Chad in April 2004 and two other protocols in Abuja in November 2004.

The agreements aimed at improving the humanitarian and security situation in Darfur ahead of reaching a final political, just and acceptable solution.

However, the efforts of Sudanese government and its collaborators to use summits as a way of buying time, procrastinating and postponing finding solutions are evident to everyone.

However, the way forward to resolving Sudan’s problems in Darfur should be clear by now; it will not be through bogus summits that are only held to cover up the true developments in Darfur from the international community, as well as regional powers, local opinion and armed groups in Sudan.

In order to put an end to this manipulation and deception with regards to just causes, the JEM has decided the following:

1. To boycott the five-way African Union [AU] summit due to be held in Ndjamena on 16 and 17 February 2005.

2. The boycott decision was taken for the same reasons as those which had forced the talks be transferred from Ndjamena to Abuja in August 2004.

3. The JEM affirms, however, that it is ready to attend the meetings of the joint committee on the cease-fire in Ndjamena, as long as it does not coincide with the five-way AU summit, to discuss the committee’s reports and recommendations, as well as the Sudanese government’s progress in the implementation of its agreements [with the rebels] and pledges to the international community.

To combine the proceedings of the joint committee with the proceedings of the AU summit will only lead to further procrastination and confusion. It will also damage the Abuja platform. Hence, out of our responsibility in front of history, we decided that we have no option but to boycott the summit.

4. The movement would like to reiterate, however, that it is still morally, politically and legally committed, and will continue to be committed to the Ndjamena and Abuja agreements.

[Signed] Idris Ibrahim Azraq

The JEM information and culture secretary and official spokesman.

Material provided by the BBC Monitoring Service.