JEM rebels to meet Darfur mediation over peace strategy

November 4, 2009 (PARIS) — The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said it has agreed with the Joint Mediator to hold a consultative meeting in Doha over a comprehensive strategy of the peace process.
Djibril Bassolé, the African Union United Nations Joint Mediator for Darfur was Tuesday in London where he held talks with British officials over the ongoing efforts to end Darfur conflict. He also met with the London based JEM spokesperson Ahmed Hussein Adam.
“We agreed with Mr. Bassole to hold a consultative meeting soon in Doha to discuss a strategy for the peace process,” said Ahmed Hussein Adam on Wednesday.
The rebel official further said they want to develop a comprehensive strategy for the peace process, in order to have a clear vision shared by all the parties.
Sudanese government and JEM signed last February an agreement aiming at building confidence between the two parties. However the rebel group suspended its participation in the process to protest the ill-implementation of the goodwill deal by Khartoum.
However, the mediation will hold during the upcoming weeks a meeting for the civil society organizations to set out their claims and perspectives for peace in Darfur.
Ahmed said JEM pointed out during the meeting that they support the organization of such meeting aiming to involve the civil society in the restive region. However the stressed that the mediation should bear in mind that there are two civil societies in Darfur. “There is a civil society mounted by the government and another civil society supportive to the rebels,” he said.
“So we need to be clear in this issue and we should coordinate with the mediation upon it,” he stressed.
JEM which is opposed to the regional and international efforts to include all the factions in the Doha process seems not opposed to the participation of SLM-Abdel Wahid Al-Nur in the talks as they were the two groups who didn’t sign Abuja peace agreement in May 2006.
The rebel movement says it is not opposed to the inclusivity but wants to avoid chaos.
During a meeting held in the Chadian capital on Tuesday with Mr. Hamad bin Jasim bin Jabir Al-Thani, the Qatari Prime Minister and foreign minister, JEM leader Dr Khalil Ibrahim said the Sudanese government works to involve “fictive rebels” in the peace process in order to create chaos between the rebel groups and use the peace talks as tribune for public relations.
He also called to not seek a “Quick fix” for the conflict saying such approach would be unproductive as it was the case in Abuja.
Regarding the ongoing preparations for general election in the country, Khalil reiterated the opposition of his movement to this process saying it would logical to delay the election until the conclusion of a peace agreement. He also expressed JEM rejection for the census results and the existing laws restricting the political freedoms.
Al-Thani met with the Chadian president Idriss Deby asking him to persuade Darfur rebels to join the peace process.
(ST)