Ruling party official: Sudan to set end-date for peace talks with rebels

The mediation team at the Doha talks between Sudanese rebels and the government proposed that the parties sign an initial Darfur Peace Agreement by the 15th of this month. Dr. Ghazi Salah Al Din Atabani, the national official in charge of the Darfur file, said that the negotiations will not be endless, noting that the country is on the verge of important other decisions that must be addressed in the political arena, especially the referendum for South Sudan. With regard to the date of signing of the agreement with the Liberation and Justice Movement, Dr. Ghazi said that the date will be determined during a meeting with the Joint Chief Mediator Djibril Bassole.A peace deal between LJM and the government, if signed, would represent only a partial peace, since the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) is not participating in the talks. Nonetheless, Dr. Ghazi denied that there are contacts with Libya to pressure JEM rebel chief Dr. Khalil Ibrahim to come to the negotiating table at Doha. He said that this is in accordance with Khalil’s own stated assertions about the Doha platform. He was referring to the rebel chief’s position that Doha is no longer a suitable host for the talks.

Meanwhile, activists said the government’s refusal to consider the Heidelberg Document shows that it is not serious and not interested in peace. Government negotiators had turned away a delegation of civil society activists who wished to present to them the document. The government delegation said in a statement that it is in the national interest to reject this document. In response, the activists noted that the Heidelberg Document was prepared by academics, activists, and civil society organizations from Darfur after 3 years of discussions under the auspices of the Max Planck Institute and the University of Khartoum.