Minawi’s Darfur faction to keep national positions

The Sudan Liberation Movement of Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) will keep the posts it had held before the elections, nominally maintaining its political strength within the national coalition government dominated by the National Congress Party. An official of the SLM faction told Radio Dabanga on Thursday that the SLM will participate in the national government with four positions during the coming political phase: Senior Assistant to the President, two Ministers of State, along with the Presidency of the Transitional Regional Darfur Authority. These positions were previously held by the movement in accordance with the 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement, but some of the terms of that deal expired upon completion of the national elections this past April. NCP and SLM had issued a joint statement on 3 August saying they had agreed to a political partnership within the framework of the existing cooperation between the two sides. SLM Deputy Chairman Al Rayah Mahmoud also disclosed that there a meeting was scheduled between Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, Second Vice President of the Republic, and Minni Arko Minawi, head of the movement, on Saturday following Minawi’s return from Juba on Friday.