Sudan Vision Daily News Paper Official Website - Second Darfur Accord Signed with Rebels in Doha

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(DOHA) — The Sudanese government and the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) signed a framework agreement on Thursday in the Arab Gulf state of Qatar similar to the one signed last month between Khartoum and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

The LJM chief El-Tijani El-Sissi and the Sudanese presidential adviser Ghazi Salah Al-Deen Al-Attabani led the signature ceremony. The LJM is an umbrella of rebel groups which has quickly rushed to unite in the wake of last month’s truce between Khartoum and JEM.
The Sudanese Vice president Ali Osman Taha who attended the ceremony praised the role of Qatar and affirmed his government’s willingness to work diligently towards peace and implementing all the agreements signed.
He described today’s move as "important and necessary" and urged other groups to join in a subtle reference to the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Abdel-Wahid Al-Nur who lives in Paris.
Taha also dismissed any talk about delaying elections as JEM has insisted but promised that Darfuris will get full representation in the government and noted that most of Darfur registered for voting.
The Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hamad bin Gasim bin Gabr Al-Thani sitting with Taha lauded today’s achievements adding that a final peace agreement with JEM and LJM is imminent pending few details.
He further said that the signing of the cease-fire was with JEM’s knowledge and that Qatar had accepted the mediation with the full support of the Arab League.
The joint United Nations (UN) - African Union (AU) mediator Dijibril Bassole said in his address at the signing ceremony that the objective of these agreements is to pave the way for holding constructive dialogue and setting frameworks for detailed negotiations that would lead to reaching a peace accord.
Bassole revealed that a timetable was proposed by his team for negotiations with specific deliverables such as security arrangements, amnesty for the ex-rebel fighters, political participation, the administrative status of Darfur, the wealth and power sharing, compensations, the voluntary repatriation of IDP’s, and the participation of the civil society organizations.
He revealed that a second forum of civil society organizations will be held in the coming period.
Both JEM and SLM-Nur rejected the agreement today with the former saying that the LJm has no presence on the ground or political weight.
Separately a group by the name of SLM-roadmap revealed that they have agreed on coordinating with JEM and begin a process to work for uniting their ranks.
In a related development Sudanese government and the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) have resumed indirect talks facilitated by the Chadian government to break the deadlock and pave the way towards a peace agreement.

Chadian President Idriss Deby
Last week, Presidential adviser Ghazi Salah Al-Deen met with JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim in N'djamena to discuss divergences raised after the signing of a framework agreement last month, but they only agreed that delegations in Doha should continue to finalize a ceasefire agreement.
Sudanese government and JEM are in disarray over the issues of election postponement and power sharing as the rebels rejected a package of governmental positions including one presidential assistant, two ministers in the national government besides other positions in the region of Darfur.
The indirect talks between Khartoum and JEM at the current stage deal with the power and wealth sharing. In a proposal submitted through the Chadian facilitator, the Sudanese government proposed two posts of presidential advisers, three ministers and one state minister in the federal government, one governor in Darfur, five regional ministries including three in Darfur and two in other regions, and seven members in the national parliament.
JEM, which eyes the position of vice-president, is expected to refuse the proposal of two presidential advisers. Multiple sources say Khartoum intends to attribute this position to El-Tijani El-Sissi the former governor of Darfur and UN official who accepted to chair a rebel the new rebel Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM).
El-Sissi who is from the Fur tribe, largest ethnic group in the troubled region, was requested to lead the Libyan sponsored rebel group after criticism by an American official to the Libyan initiative to reunite rebel factions saying Tripoli had only gathered rebels belonging to the minority Zaggawa ethnic group.
The rebel LJM signed today a framework agreement with the Sudanese government defining the themes to be discussed between the two parties and including a temporary ceasefire agreement.
JEM was opposed to the separate agreement but the chief mediator stressed the importance to include all the parties in the process. The rebel leader Khalil Ibrahim had rejected the participation of other rebel groups in the peace process saying they should first merge with his movement. He also said against parallel talks with them and the Sudanese government.
The Chadian foreign minister Moussa El Faki said today that the efforts led by his country aim to facilitate Doha talks. He further reaffirmed the continuation of efforts exerted by his country to overcome differences between the two parties and reach a final peace agreement.
Commenting the last week meeting between Khalil and Ghazi, El Faki said "There is a difference in some of the issues discussed (between the parties), but I am optimistic that the talks continue".
The Chadian foreign minister was in Doha today to attend the signing ceremony of a framework agreement between the Sudanese government and the rebel Liberation and Justice Movement.