Holdout Darfur rebels deny intention to join DDPD

Dr Jibril Ibrahim, the head of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), and Minni Arko Minawi, the head of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM) deny that their Movements intend to join the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).

They say that the purpose of an upcoming visit to the Qatar capital of Doha at an invitation of the Qatari mediation, will be for “dialogue about outstanding procedural issues”.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga broadcast today, Ibrahim says that in the case of agreement on the outstanding procedural issues, they will negotiate on the issue of Darfur and make a call for the mediation to play a role in achieving peace and democratic transformation in Sudan.

He denied that the purpose of the upcoming visit to Doha is to join the DDPD. He described the Document as “legally expired” and that “it left devastation and destruction in the country”.

Ibrahim stressed his Movement’s position on a comprehensive solution to the Sudanese issues. He also denied that the visit to Doha was designed to coincide with the President Al Bashir's upcoming visit to the Qatari capital.

“The upcoming visit to Doha is an invitation from the Qatari mediation to talk about the barriers of JEM and the SLM joining the Doha platform…”

“The upcoming visit to Doha is an invitation from the Qatari mediation to talk about the barriers of JEM and the SLM joining the Doha platform. It refers to an earlier meeting with a delegation of the mediation in January to discuss the procedural issues.”

He called on Qatar “to play a greater role in achieving peace and democratic transformation in Sudan rather than isolating themselves in a narrow circle”.

Opinions and reservations

He explained that he has “a range of opinions and reservations to determine whether the Doha Forum is valid for dialogue to bring peace to Darfur and Sudan issues”.

SLM faction leader Minni Arko Minawi, echoed Ibrahim, saying that that “the purpose of the upcoming visit to the Doha is not for negotiation, but to discuss the procedural issues related to the methodology of negotiation, the need for Doha to contribute to the two-track political process, and the unification of efforts of the many actors such as the African Union, Unamid, United Nations, and Qatar”.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga yesterday, Minawi said that the upcoming visit to Doha comes as an extension of the meeting which brought them together with Deputy Qatari Prime Minister Al Mahmoud in January in Paris.

He said that a joint workshop was held between SLA and JEM in March, based on their meeting with Al Mahmoud, “whose outputs will bring formulation of vision on peace in Darfur and Sudan”.

Minawi said that the vision was circulated to all the stakeholders for peace in Darfur and Sudan, such as AUHIP, Unamid, and the international community.

“DDPD unacceptable, non-inclusive, and expired”

He also denied that the purpose of their visit to the Doha is meant to join the DDPD which he described as “unacceptable, non-inclusive, and expired”.

He called on “the Doha parties and others to participate in the broader political process that resolves the issue of Darfur and Sudan in a comprehensive and fair manner”.

Protocol of acceptance

In Khartoum, the head of the Office of Darfur Peace Follow-up, Amin Hassan Omar, announced that the government intends to sign militarily and political agreements with the armed movements in Darfur – mainly Abul Ghasim Imam of the Second Revolution Movement and Taher Hajar’s Sudan Liberation Movement in the coming weeks.

At a news conference yesterday, Omar said that the two movements will become part of the ongoing political arrangements within in the framework of the DDPD: “Any armed movement who joins the peace process must first sign a protocol of acceptance of the DDPD.

He stressed that “the Sudanese state will not create institutions to absorb the new signatories of the peace after dissolving the Darfur Regional Authority, especially as the movements’ leaders say they did not fight for positions of power”.