Darfur rebels deny declarations on willingness to join peace talks

The chairman of the liaison committee in charge of encouraging non-signatory parties to join the Doha peace talks declared having “successful contacts” with Darfur rebel groups recently. All movements unanimously denied the declarations made by Siddig Wada’a, who is also a Darfur businessman, when speaking to Radio Dabanga on Friday. During an “African and European tour”, Wada’a claims he met with Dr. Jibril Ibrahim, head of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), with Minni Minnawi of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM) and with Abu al-Qasim Imam Al-Haj of the SLM-Abdel Wahid (SLM-AW). The chairman asserted the leaders of the armed movements “expressed willingness to continue meetings with the liaison committee with an action program that realizes the aspirations of the people of Darfur in a just and comprehensive peace.” JEM Earlier this week JEM had reiterated its refusal to join the talks in Doha on the basis of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD). Spokesman Jibril Adam Bilal described the document a “disaster for Sudan, especially for Darfur.” He confirmed meeting with the liaison committee in London, adding he told Wada’a not to “waste his time and resources”.   Bilal suggested that there is no real proof that the government of Sudan changed its strategy and that it still seeks a partial, instead of a comprehensive solution for the conflicts in the country.   Besides, JEM is a coalition member of the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) and a signatory of the New Dawn Charter, which aims at overthrowing the regime in Khartoum, Bilal said. He explained that the stance of the SRF and of New Dawn is to refuse partial solutions for Sudan. JEM demanded from the committee led by Wada’a to concentrate its efforts in putting an end to the tribal war in Darfur and move towards reconciliation initiates between tribes of the region. SLM-MM SLM-MM spokesman Abdullah Mursal reaffirmed the movement’s total rejection of the DDPD and of its platform. He told Radio Dabanga from Kampala, Uganda, that the document does not meet the minimum requirements for the people of Darfur and its main goal is to “sell the issue of the region” and evacuate the displaced camps. Mursal revealed that during the meeting with Wada’a the movement emphasized that the Darfur issue will be resolved through a “comprehensive and just solution”. This will be achieved with the participation of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) and of the people of Sudan, the spokesman added. SLM-AW The SLM-AW stated it did not and will not “negotiate in any way with the regime to resolve the crisis in Darfur and that it did not reach any agreement on any topic related to peace with the government”. Al-Haj said he discussed with the chairman issues about Sudan, recent developments on the New Dawn document and about a comprehensive solution to the crisis in the country. He stressed the movement is focused on the New Dawn document and to work with the SRF to overthrow the Khartoum government. The SLM-AW rejects any partial solutions to Sudan and called on the liaison committee to stand by the victims of Darfur and help “stop the genocide” in the region, Al-Haj highlighted.Photo from left ro right: Abdel Wahid, Jibril Ibrahim, Minni Minnawi and SRF head Malik Agar (Radio Dabanga file)Related: Doha: Sudan government, JEM splinter group sign negotiations agenda (25 January 2013)JEM reiterates refusal to join Darfur peace talks in Doha (22 January 2013)