‘Holdout Darfur rebels could join DDPD’

The head of the Darfur Peace Implementation Office, Dr Amin Hassan Omar, has said that some holdout Darfur opposition groups have expressed a desire to meet in Qatar to consider signing the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).

Omar told reporters that the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM) led by Minni Minawi could meet the mediation late this month in Qatar to discuss ways to join the DDPD.

Omar made the announcement following a meeting with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud yesterday. Al Mahmoud is in Khartoum to chair the 11th meeting of the international follow-up committee for the DDPD implementation which kicks-off today. He welcomed any armed group wishing to join the DDPD, saying “our hearts are open to the armed movements and we welcome those who want to join the DDPD as a basis for peace in Darfur”.

Roadmap

The AU High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) arranged a consultative meeting between Khartoum and the allied opposition in Addis Ababa in March. Chief Mediator Thabo Mbeki presented the warring parties the text of a roadmap regarding the accords to be agreed on to achieve peace in the country and the opposition’s participation in the National Dialogue. The government delegation signed the document. Mbeki signed as well. The opposition groups refused, accusing the AU mediator of siding with Khartoum.

DDPD

The DDPD was signed on 11 July 2011 between the Sudanese government and the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) of Tijani Sese. The Justice and Equality Movement faction led by Bakheit Abdel-Karim Dabajo (JEM-Dabajo) joined the deal on 6 April 2013.

(Source: Sudan Tribune)