Sudan Liberation Movement rejects Doha talks

The Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid Mohammed Nur announced that it continues to refuse to participate in the negotiations scheduled to begin on 29 September in Doha. Ibrahim Al Hilu, a commander in the movement, told Radio Dabanga that the movement requires the government to meet pre-conditions before talks can even begn. Those demands are security in Darfur, disarmament of the Janjaweed, and the expulsion of settlers from the lands of the displaced.

The movement has retained this hardline stance since the failure of the Abuja talks in May 2006. Nonetheless, Abdel Wahid last week consulted with the chief mediator and the French foreign ministry about the possibility of joining the Doha process. The mediators are expected to continue to pressure SLM-AW to join the talks in order to meet their goal of having all parties sign a final peace deal before the referendum for South Sudan in January 2011.