Sudan negotiators object to Heidelberg delegation at Darfur peace talks
Omer Adam Rahman, the spokesman of the Sudanese government delegation at the peace talks with Darfuri rebels, objected to the presence of a delegation of the Heidelberg Committee in Sudan. A delegation of 20 leaders of this civil society group travelled from Khartoum to Doha, the seat of the negotiations, at the invitation of the mediation team. In an interview with Radio Dabanga, Omer Adam Rahman said that the government delegation presented a protest to the mediation team against the presence of this civil society group. The Heidelberg Committee takes its name from three symposia that have been organized for Sudanese civil society since January 2008 by the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg, Germany, in cooperation with the Peace Institute of the University of Khartoum. The dialogue is funded by the German Foreign Ministry. In the latest event held during February and March 2010, the Darfuri civil society participants agreed on a final outcome document containing draft proposals for consideration in a future Darfur Peace Agreement. Sudan’s negotiators at Doha took the position that if the Heidelberg delegation presented its proposal at the negotiating table, it would interrupt the peace process. Omer Adam Rahman branded the delegation as being part of the opposition and supporting the rebels. But in the opinion of Tigani Sese, the leader of the main rebel coalition participating at the Doha talks, the presence of the Heidelberg group supported the negotiating process. He took the position that the Framework Agreement on the talks allows for the presence of the group. He said that he discussed the issue with chief mediator Djibril Bassolé, who agreed that the delegation are consultants who can help the process. The Heidelberg group itself explained that they are Darfuris with their own peace proposal, but they do not support any of the parties at the talks in Doha. They were in Doha for two days, presented their proposal, and then returned to Khartoum. More information about the Heidelberg Darfur Dialogue is available at the website of the Max Planck Institute, along with the Heidelberg Darfur Dialogue Outcome Document (pdf) in Arabic and English. Negotiations at Doha are continuing, having resumed earlier this month after a months-long hiatus for the nationwide elections. Darfur’s Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) will negotiate with the government on Wednesday on the issue of national wealth-sharing, according to government spokesman Rahman. The two parties will turn to the issue of refugees and displaced by 29 June, and then address the rest of the issues in the first week of July.Photo: Sudan’s top negotiator Amin Hassan Omer (SMC photo, left) and LJM rebel chief El Tigani Sese (AP photo, right).
Omer Adam Rahman, the spokesman of the Sudanese government delegation at the peace talks with Darfuri rebels, objected to the presence of a delegation of the Heidelberg Committee in Sudan. A delegation of 20 leaders of this civil society group travelled from Khartoum to Doha, the seat of the negotiations, at the invitation of the mediation team. In an interview with Radio Dabanga, Omer Adam Rahman said that the government delegation presented a protest to the mediation team against the presence of this civil society group.
The Heidelberg Committee takes its name from three symposia that have been organized for Sudanese civil society since January 2008 by the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg, Germany, in cooperation with the Peace Institute of the University of Khartoum. The dialogue is funded by the German Foreign Ministry. In the latest event held during February and March 2010, the Darfuri civil society participants agreed on a final outcome document containing draft proposals for consideration in a future Darfur Peace Agreement.
Sudan’s negotiators at Doha took the position that if the Heidelberg delegation presented its proposal at the negotiating table, it would interrupt the peace process. Omer Adam Rahman branded the delegation as being part of the opposition and supporting the rebels. But in the opinion of Tigani Sese, the leader of the main rebel coalition participating at the Doha talks, the presence of the Heidelberg group supported the negotiating process. He took the position that the Framework Agreement on the talks allows for the presence of the group. He said that he discussed the issue with chief mediator Djibril Bassolé, who agreed that the delegation are consultants who can help the process.
The Heidelberg group itself explained that they are Darfuris with their own peace proposal, but they do not support any of the parties at the talks in Doha. They were in Doha for two days, presented their proposal, and then returned to Khartoum.
More information about the Heidelberg Darfur Dialogue is available at the website of the Max Planck Institute, along with the Heidelberg Darfur Dialogue Outcome Document (pdf) in Arabic and English.
Negotiations at Doha are continuing, having resumed earlier this month after a months-long hiatus for the nationwide elections. Darfur’s Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) will negotiate with the government on Wednesday on the issue of national wealth-sharing, according to government spokesman Rahman. The two parties will turn to the issue of refugees and displaced by 29 June, and then address the rest of the issues in the first week of July.
Photo: Sudan’s top negotiator Amin Hassan Omer (SMC photo, left) and LJM rebel chief El Tigani Sese (AP photo, right).
and then