Four outstanding issues at Darfur talks in Doha: negotiator

There are still four issues outstanding in the Doha negotiations between the government and the Liberation and Justice Movement.There are still four issues outstanding in the Doha negotiations between the government and the Liberation and Justice Movement. The talks between Sudan and the umbrella rebel group have been repeatedly delayed as mediators have stressed that other rebel factions need to join the talks.

Tadjadine Beshir Niam, chief negotiator for the Liberation and Justice Movement, told Radio Dabanga that the first issue is the administrative status of Darfur, whether to remain as three states or become one province. He said that the second issue is the amount of money to be given by the government for the development and compensation of the displaced and reconstruction for Darfur. The third issue is the mechanisms for implementing the agreement. He explained that the fourth issue is the mechanisms for achieving justice and in particular regarding the International Criminal Court and the proposed hybrid courts.

LJM is headed by an ethnic Fur, Tijani Sese, which has sparked rivalry with the far older Sudan Liberation Movement/Army headed by the Fur leader Abdel Wahid Al Nur. The LJM chief has never been involved in the rebellion in the field. In recent years he has worked for the United Nations in Addis Ababa. Reportedly, he remains a UN employee on unpaid leave.