Significance of coalition of Darfur resistance Forces at this critical juncture
By Mahmoud A. Suleiman
In the midst of the stalled negotiating process for a just and sustainable peace to the people of Sudan in Darfur due to the intransigence of the Government of National Congress Party (NCP) and the failure of the Doha Forum to make significant reforms along with the fragmentation of the Darfur movements caused to a great extent by the government of President Omar al-Bashir through breeding pro-government movements, eight of the concerned Darfur armed movements struck a deal and formed an allied resistance front. All those eight rebel groups are reported to have a real military presence on the ground in the far western Sudan’s grieving region where millions of survivors of genocide have been living in makeshift camps for seven years and being subjected to systematic slow death. These movements stated that while they forming the coalition of resistance forces and adopting a unified negotiating position each one of them would retain its identity within the alliance whether in war or peace. This bold responsible and a long-awaited step is going to refute the allegations of Government of Marshal Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir that they do not know with which of the plentifully invented movements to negotiate. Similarly, the Alliance will address the international community envoys such as General Scott Gration who put all the blame on the Darfur rebel movements for lack of progress of Darfur peace. Observers assertively say that the International Community players’ main concern at the present is the upcoming referendum of the people of the southern Sudan on Sunday the ninth of January 2011; they have no appetite to offer much attention to the atrocious crimes that continue to be committed against innocent civilians by the government of Sudan in the region.
The Charter of Alliance of the Sudanese Resistance Forces in Darfur was announced at a Press Conference under the banner ‘Towards a Strong Will for Structural Change of the Rule and Governance of Sudan’. Eight Darfur Rebel Movements signed the Charter of alliance in Hilton London Metropole Hotel, Edgware Road, London, United Kingdom on December 12th 2010. The Press Conference was attended by the Mass Media, Newspaper and TV channels reporters from the BBC, Al-Arabiyya, Al-Jazira TV Channels and al-Rayaam and other Newspapers. The Allied Rebel Movements which signed the Founding Declaration Charter were:
Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) led by Dr. Khalil Ibrahim Mohmed, the Revolutionary United Front forces (RUFF), the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) the leadership of Babiker Abdullah, Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) led by Mahgoub Hussein, , the United Front for Resistance (UFFR) led by Malik Mohmed Yousif, the Democratic Justice and Equality Movement (DJEM) led by Idriss Azrag, the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) Leadership of Khamis Abdullah, Democratic Revolutionary Forces Front (DRFF).
The Charter of Alliance of the Sudanese Resistance Forces in Darfur (ASRFD) stated that the signatories pledged to adopt within two weeks the statue of the new alliance, announce its political and military structures and the formation of its delegation to the peace talks. Furthermore, the allied group also stated that they are going to draw up policies and strategies of the new alliance and to define its joint position for the peace negotiations. They also said that the alliance will be open to all those who agree to join this unique alliance and share the objectives of the front and they will not exclude anyone. The group indicated clearly that their arch enemy is one, the NCP government led by Omer al-Bashir and that the issue of their struggle is also one, the conflict of the people of Sudan in Darfur. Moreover, the group also said although peace continues to be their prime strategy armed resistance remains a ready option if the government of the NCP keeps on prevaricating and denying the legitimate rights of the people and chooses to resort to war. The Alliance of the Sudanese Resistance Forces in Darfur (ASRFD) stated that the Doha Platform still stays as their priority Peace Process Forum provided drastic reforms are made by the host Qatari country and the Joint AU-UN Mediator. The Front praised the role played by the leadership of the Libyan Arab Socialist Jamahiriya in the name of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya”. Mahjoub Hussein, leader of the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) said what is happening in Doha at the moment between Dr. Tigani Sessei and the NCP Government of Sudan (GoS) is a theatrical farce and futility and would not lead to peace in Darfur. Hussein admitted that he was a party in that farcical play initially but when he realised its unrevealed intentions, he soon withdrew out of that conspiracy and complicity.
The Alliance of the Sudanese Resistance Forces in Darfur (ASRFD) is akin to the
National Redemption Front (NRF) which was an alliance of three fighting groups consisted of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), a holdout faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Sudan Federal Democratic Alliance (SFDA). NRF opposed the infamous Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) or the Abuja peace agreement, signed by the SLA faction led by Minni Minnawi and the National Congress Party (NCP) Sudanese government on May 5th, 2006. At the time the non-signatories of the DPA were demonised by the representatives of the international community and considered them as spoilers of peace. Nevertheless, days demonstrated the credibility of the National Redemption Front (NRF) which within very short time scale enabled itself to attack the government of Sudan’s military garrison positioned in the North Kordofan area of Hamrat-Sheikh. Following that, the NRF gained recognition from the very International Community.
In the circumstances the people of Sudan in Darfur and Kordofan say that the remaining Darfurian groups in Doha, Qatar, under the chairmanship of Dr. Tigani Sessei, whether knowingly or not, are working on the implementation of the evil interests and objectives of the Government of the National Congress Party (NCP).They add and say that Dr. Tigani Sessei is nothing but a tool in the hands of the regime led by the ICC indicted fugitive criminal Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir. Tigani Sessei’s position is part and parcel of the National Consensual Agreement/Arabic Tarady (NCA), signed by the Umma Party chairman Imam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi with the Government of the National Congress Party during the Operation Long Arm (OLA) by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) on 10th of May2008 when the gallant troops of the Movement, unprecedentedly, entered the three towns National Capital of Sudan and carried out their courageous military operation, to the surprise of the world media.
At this significant juncture the people of Sudan in Darfur in the IDPs and refugees camps and those in the Diaspora offer valuable advice to the minority who are still in Doha and being led by Tigani Sessei to desert him and join the Alliance of Resistance Forces Front (ARF) to pounce upon their arch-enemy the murderous Islamist regime of the National Congress Party (NCP/NIF) and get rid of it. Will they listen to the voice of reason and catch up before it is too late?!
Dr. Mahmoud A. Suleiman is the Deputy Chairman of the General Congress for the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). He can be reached at [email protected]