Doha signatories welcome investigation into DRA fight

The leadership of the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), led by Bahar Idris Abu Garda, and the breakaway faction of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM-Sudan) have welcomed President Omar Al Bashir’s decision to investigate the fight that took place during a ceremony at El Salam Rotana Hotel last Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tijani Sese has signed an alliance deal with a Darfurian group.

Sharfeldin Mahmoud, the spokesman of the LJM, told Radio Dabanga that they consider Al Bashir’s Presidential decree a correct one.

During the Darfur Regional Authority’s inauguration ceremony of Phase Two of the Darfur development projects on 26 August, former members of the National Liberation and Justice Movement (NLJM) headed by DRA chairman Dr El Tijani Sese, stormed the podium. They demanded to read a statement in protest against the NLJM’s way of working concerning the Darfur development projects. When this was refused, they began to riot and attacked a DRA Minister. In the video below, police can be seen intervening and attempting to contain the situation.

JEM-Sudan spokesman Ahmed Adam Abdelmajeed said that the investigation committee will also clarify the delay in the DRA’s appointment of a new chairman to replace Sese.

Abdelmajeed believes the committee will also lead to resolving outstanding issues, such as the agreements made with the signatory parties in the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (2011).

The inquiry committee, chaired by the Minister of Justice, Awad Hassan, is also expected to interrogate the official and the non-official authorities involving the El Salam Rotana Hotel incident. President Al Bashir has given the committee a maximum period of one week to submit its report.

Tijani Sese signs alliance deal with Darfurian group

NLJM leader Tijani Sese recently signed a political cooperation agreement with a breakaway faction of the JEM-Sudan, led by Abdelrahman Banat.

The news comes at a time when Sese faces strong rejection by his peace partners Abu Garda and Bakhit Dabajo. Sudan Tribune reported that Sese, however, announced that this agreement is not directed against any other party, during the signing ceremony in Khartoum on Monday.

From his side, Banat disclosed that the memorandum paves the way for merging the two movements.

At the end of last year, members of the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), then headed by Sese, began to publicly criticise the “fraudulent practices” of the DRA presidency. In January, Sese was ousted as head of the LJM.

In February, LJM Secretary-General and federal Minister of Health Bahar Idris Abu Garda was elected as the new chairman. Sese formed the NJLM. Since then the DRA, with functionaries of both the NJLM and the JLM, has been divided too.