Sudan’s Al Bashir scoffs at rebel boycott of peace negotiations

President Omar Al Bashir has ridiculed the declaration of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Movement faction headed by Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) of refusing to negotiate with his government under the pretext solidarity with the mass demonstrations that have continued across Sudan for four weeks.

Speaking at a meeting with representatives of political forces in Nyala, South Darfur on Monday, Al Bashir said the recent problems in the country prompted some movements to declare a boycott of negotiations with the government.

“They believe there is no need to agree on peace with the government because it will fall, but tell them they will be long waiting, we will not wait for them and we will seek to achieve peace from the responsibility of the state Sudan.

He also criticised the head of the mainstream Sudan Liberation Movement, Abdelwahid El Nur, for his continued rejection of the principle of sitting for dialogue.

Al Bashir said that “the man is without military support that qualifies him to stick to his position, which is a refusal to negotiate”.

He pointed out that he objects to any understandings out of his conviction that the rebel leader will win over the government, and occupy Darfur and the entire Sudan. “If he [Abdelwahid El Nur] lived 100 years, he would not be able to occupy Jebel Marra, let alone Darfur or the rest of Sudan.”

Boycott

As previously reported by Radio Dabanga, Jibril Ibrahim, head of the JEM, has rejected the resumption of negotiations with the government, due to be held in Doha in January, to protest the killing and detention of peaceful demonstrators in Sudan.

During an annual ceremony held in Paris to commemorate the movement's victims, Ibrahim said: “We have refused to sit down with the regime in Doha,” acting in solidarity with nationwide protests calling for president Al Bashir to step down from power which have just entered their fourth week.

The JEM and Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM) of Minni Minawi leadership were due to discuss the resumption of negotiations with the Sudanese government in Doha this month. This was going to be the next step after all parties signed a pre-negotiation agreement on December 6, 2018.