Darfur Rebels Fail to Agree On Joint Positions On the Remaining Issues in Doha Talks

18 May 2011

Doha — The two rebel groups participating in Doha process for peace in Darfur failed to agree on ways to coordinate their positions as the mediators prepare for stakeholders conference by the end of May to assess the progress in the talks.

The Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) led by Tijani El-Sissi said it concluded the negotiations on the major issues and minor divergences are left to the mediation to propose a compromise on it.

On the other hand, talks between the government delegation and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) did not achieve any progress and their position are divergent on many chapters.

To avoid a partial peace agreement between the government and LJM , the international community envoys who follow the talks closely from Doha thought to push the two rebel groups to find out a common ground for their positions from the proposed draft peace agreement.

The major issues of divergence with the government are the power sharing, including the position of vice-president and Darfur administrative status, and the security arrangements dealing with the ceasefire and the integration of the rebel combatants.

“We proposed to coordinate our positions on the power sharing and the security arrangements, said LJM top negotiator Tadjadine Bechir Niam who stressed that no time to extend discussion on the other issues.

Niam further said JEM asked for a complete coordination over all the six chapters of the draft peace agreement, adding they refused such idea as they agreed on many things with Khartoum.

Analysts agree the approaches adopted by the two rebel groups in the talks are not similar and this might complicate coordination even on the power sharing file alone.

JEM believes that Darfur conflict should be resolved within a national framework including the reshaping of the territorial administration of the Sudanese state. While LJM is focused on the situation in Darfur only.

On the issue of the vice-president, LJM asks for a vice-president from Darfur region but does not stress that he should be from a rebel group like JEM which also demands to allocate the post of First Vice-President to Darfur.

On the administrative status, LJM supports the creation of a regional authority but wants the different states of Darfur (three or five) to remain linked directly to the central government. JEM call to divide Sudan in big regions (six) and every region including Darfur should get its own government and legislative body. All the regions are represented at the central level by their institutions.

JEM spokesperson, Gibreel Adam Bilal confirmed that his movement wants to reach an agreement determining general standards on power and wealth sharing for the whole country.

Gibreel stressed that during the two day meeting JEM pointed out the need to converge on the amount of compensation (LJM 250 per family while JEM 400 per individual). He also said that the role of international justice should be clearly defined.

“The draft agreement speaks about the jurisdiction of the Sudanese courts over Darfur crimes, but no mention is made to the Sudanese officials wanted by the International Criminal Court,” he said. “We need to take a position over these issues and also over the hybrid courts,” he emphasized.

JEM spokesperson further said the chapter on public freedoms is silent over the emergency law, national security law and other legislations restricting human rights and freedoms.

Two weeks ago US envoy for Sudan Princeton Lyman said his country does not support a peace deal between Khartoum and one rebel group but called for an inclusive peace agreement.

The mediation and the US Senior Adviser for Darfur Dane Smith proposed last week to delay talks between JEM and government delegations for the after Darfur stakeholders conference scheduled to be held in Doha at the end of the month.

But the head of the government delegation at the peace process Amin Hassan Omer stated that that his delegation will leave Doha at the end of May stressing that they agreed over 95 % of the negotiated issues with the LJM led by El-Sissi

Presidential adviser charged of Darfur file, Ghazi Salah Al-Deen arrived on Wednesday evening in Doha for talks with the mediation.

Sudan had already withdrawn its delegation from Doha last December but resumed talks with JEM in March 2011 on the basis of a draft agreement of chapters negotiated between the government and LJM.

On Wednesday, JEM and a dissident faction of the LJM signed an agreement providing the two groups agree on the same positions over the draft peace agreement.

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