JEM rebels freeze peace talks with Sudan

The Justice and Equality Movement suspended peace talks with the government of Sudan. This follows a consolidation of other Darfuri rebel factions under the leadership of Tijani Sese, the relatively new leader of the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), an umbrella coalition.

The JEM rebels accuse the government of bombing their positions in West Darfur near the Chadian border and in northern Jebel Marra. In a statement from Paris issued on Monday, the rebel spokesman Ahmed Husain Adam said: “Due to continuous aerial and ground assaults on Darfur people and because of frequent attacks on JEM forces and lack of seriousness from the part of GoS regarding peaceful resolution of the conflict, JEM has decided to freeze its participation in the Doha Peace Process”. Adam added that “JEM will take necessary action if the government assault on innocent people is repeated”.

JEM signed a framework agreement with Sudan in February, agreeing to move forward with talks. But the movement has since objected to the parallel peace process ongoing for the LJM rebels, who also signed a framework agreement with the government. Khalil Ibrahim, the JEM chairman, last week in an interview with Radio Dabanga accused some rebels at the Doha talks of being only interested in government positions.

The negotiations between the rebels and the Sudanese government in Doha are set to resume on 15 May. JEM negotiators will remain in Doha, according to JEM representative Ahmed Tugod.