Juba’s most happening
night spot, ‘Home and Away’,
became on 29 November a historic venue
for divergent Darfur movements coming
together
The rebels finally whittled themselves
down from 20 groups to two umbrella
organizations – one made up
of 15 groups, and another of five.
The two groups did not formally announce
their merger, but publicly announced
to do so at a later date. The United
Resistance Front (URF), with five
rebel groups, said it must return
to its people in Darfur before making
a formal announcement.
The event was an occasion for the
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement
(SPLM) leadership, who brokered the
rapprochement after six weeks of intensive
discussions. The high-profile gathering
was attended by Government of Southern
Sudan President and SPLM Chairman
Salva Kirr and Vice-Chairman, Riak
Machar.
Reiterating the SPLM’s commitment
for lasting peace in Darfur, and drawing
a parallel with the SPLM’s own
struggle, Mr. Kirr urged the movements
to put up a united fight. “Don’t
leave unity here in Juba. Take it
to your combatants in Darfur,”
he urged.
He also advised the movements to
show themselves. “Don’t
refuse to go to the peace talks, wherever
they are held,” he urged, tacitly
acknowledging that the venue for the
next round of Darfur talks was a thorny
issue. Emphasizing the importance
of having on board the Sudan Liberation
Army (SLA) Abdul Wahed Nur faction,
he said he still had hope that Mr.
Nur himself would attend the talks.
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On
the same question, the UN’s
Chief Mediator for Darfur, Tayé
Brook Zerihoun, who had painstakingly
worked along with AU Envoy Sam Ibok
to bring the rebels together, said,
“Individuals do not matter…For
leaders who have the support or claim
to have the support of the people,
it is the right time be on board now.”
He felt it was particularly important
to stop the killings and engage in
dialogue to prepare for the 2009 elections.
Earlier, commending the SPLM task
force for making the Juba consultations
a success, Mr. Zerihoun offered assistance
with rebel travel between Juba and
Darfur so that another meeting could
be held to crystallize their stand
for substantive talks leading up to
the negotiations.
An array of leaders from the Darfur
movements, wearing fatigues and symbolic
headscarves, attended the meeting.
Interestingly, the event also included
invitees from Eastern Sudan, the extreme
North and the Misseriyas of Southern
Kordofan, who have been fighting their
own battles against the Government
of Sudan.
Would the fragile unity hold? “That’s
why we are going to the field, to
convince our comrades…,”
said Hasan Khamiz, the URF spokesman.
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