Darfur rebel faction warns of ‘further split in leadership’

In Khartoum, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) faction led by Bakheet Abdelkarim (known as Dabajo) warned of a further split of military and political leaderships and their return to rebel movements in Darfur under the Sudanese government's “tactical” deal with the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).

Deputy spokesman for the movement, Mohamed Jabir said “the split of the leader of the movement, Salah El Wali, and his joining the Sudan Liberation Movement forces will not be the last one as the government continues to adopt tactics to implement the peace agreement”.

Jabir said: “We fear others might split too; as there are 65 military and political leaders and 18 returning prisoners”.

He said the leadership is “making vigorous efforts among the forces so as not to return to rebellion again”.

In July, three rebel groups in Darfur merged under the name of the Sudan Liberation Force Alliance. The Sudan Liberation Movement for Justice, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Unity, and the Justice and Equality Movement led by Abdallah Bishir decided to form one movement in a conference in “the liberated areas” between 29 June and 2 July. They say they are not bound by any ceasefire.

They called on the Sudanese Liberation Movement led by Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW), the SLM breakaway faction led by Minni Minawi (SLM-MM), and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) headed by Jibril Ibrahim to seek unity as well.

DDR programme

In August 2014, the first batches of former Darfur rebels started with the Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR) programme in El Fasher in North Darfur. Since then, thousands of former rebels have been integrated into the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Popular Defence Forces.

The DDR programme is stipulated in the Security Arrangements protocols of the 2006 Abuja peace accord between Khartoum and the SLM-MM, and in the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), signed in Qatar in July 2011 by the Sudanese government and the Liberation and Justice Party (NJM).

Two years later, a JEM faction, led by the late Mohamed Bashshar (JEM-Sudan) joined the DDPD. Splinter groups from the JEM and Sudan Liberation Movement factions signed the peace document in the following years.

Related articles:

Doha Document security arrangements launched in North Darfur (26 August 2014)

JEM-Sudan deadline on security arrangements (30 June 2014)