Sudanese president rejects mediation between gov't, Darfur movements
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Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Sunday declared rejection of mediation of Sudan people's Liberation Movement (SPLM) between his government and the Darfur armed movements, the official SUNA news agency reported.
The agency quoted the president's Press Adviser Imad Sid Ahmed as saying that "President al-Bashir has declared that the government would not accept the SPLM mediation between it and the Darfur rebel movements because the SPLM is part of the government. "
The SPLM earlier announced that its President, President of south Sudan government and Sudanese First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayardit has decided to play a role in achieving peace in Darfur and to make contacts with leaders of the two major rebel movements in the region to persuade them to join the peace process with the government.
Yassir Arman, a leading SPLM member said that Kiir would play a personal role to end the conflict, pointing out that he (Kiir) was the only person in the presidency who could talk with the two parties and he was a channel to be counted on.
He added that Kiir would make contacts with leader of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), Abdul-Wahid Mohamed Nuur, who is residing in France and leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Khalil Ibrahim, who is currently in Libya, and that he would ask them to send envoys to Juba.
The SPLM criticized the Sudanese president's stance rejecting the SPLM initiative to resolve the Darfur issue and mediate between Khartoum and the Darfur rebel movements.
"We were waiting for the president to bless the SPLM initiative as it seeks to resolve a Sudanese conflict that all parties participate in the efforts to overcome," Muahmed al-Mutasim Hakim, a leading SPLM member told Xinhua.
"The SPLM did not seek any political gain and its stance did not come within political bidding or bargaining. We have experience in negotiations and management of such conflicts that we want to utilize. The SPLM has a national, regional and international acceptance," he said.
He added that "our goal is to tackle the Darfur issue before the date of south Sudan referendum next year because we are aware that this matter will like to encourage the southerners to opt for unity and enhance the trust between north and south Sudan."
The JEM and SLA rejected to join the peace talks, hosted by the Qatari capital of Doha, at a joint initiative by the United Nations and the African Union.
The SPLM, which linked the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) with the National Congress (NCP), is a major partner in the Sudanese government of National Unity.
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