Darfur meeting pushes for wider rebel presence

SIRTE – Participants at Darfur peace talks are trying to persuade absent rebel chiefs to abandon a boycott and come to Libya to help efforts to end violence in the Sudanese region, rebels said yesterday.

As discussions moved into a second day, rebels attending the gathering in the Libyan town of Sirte said wider participation was needed to give the meeting a greater chance of ending 4-1/2 years of bloodshed in the devastated western region. “The factions attending the meeting have agreed for more talks to address the participation of all those who are not attending, and today the gathering will continue in this path,” rebel delegate Alhadi Agabeldour told Reuters.”Nothing will be decided, including any endorsement of the ceasefire, until this goal is achieved – more participation of the movements.The most we could achieve from this meeting is to give more time for more participation of the other rebels.”Another rebel delegate, Ahmed Ibrahim Diraige, said: “There are contacts under way to bring the others.”Many rebel leaders are not attending the gathering, complaining at what they call government-inspired violence and a refusal by UN mediators to heed requests for a delay to allow them to form a united position and agree on a delegation.The African Union-United Nations-mediated conference seeks to end a conflict that has sparked US accusations – dismissed by Sudan – of genocide.Much of the killing has been blamed on a government-allied militia known as the Janjaweed.Recently rebels have been blamed for attacks on African Union peacekeepers.In some cases, experts say, the rebel command structure has broken down to the point that the groups represent no constituency and are nothing more than bandits.At the talks’ opening on Saturday the Sudanese government declared an immediate unilateral ceasefire, but the absence of key rebels cast doubt on whether the move could produce meaningful progress.The talks are the first attempt to gather Darfur rebels and the government around a negotiating table since 2006 when the AU mediated Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria.Signed by only one rebel faction, the Abuja deal had little support among the 2 million Darfuris in displacement camps.Rather than bring peace, it triggered fresh violence, as rebels split into more than a dozen factions, some preying on civilians, aid workers and AU troops sent to the region to quell the violence but unable to protect themselves.Nampa-Reuters”The factions attending the meeting have agreed for more talks to address the participation of all those who are not attending, and today the gathering will continue in this path,” rebel delegate Alhadi Agabeldour told Reuters.”Nothing will be decided, including any endorsement of the ceasefire, until this goal is achieved – more participation of the movements.The most we could achieve from this meeting is to give more time for more participation of the other rebels.”Another rebel delegate, Ahmed Ibrahim Diraige, said: “There are contacts under way to bring the others.”Many rebel leaders are not attending the gathering, complaining at what they call government-inspired violence and a refusal by UN mediators to heed requests for a delay to allow them to form a united position and agree on a delegation.The African Union-United Nations-mediated conference seeks to end a conflict that has sparked US accusations – dismissed by Sudan – of genocide.Much of the killing has been blamed on a government-allied militia known as the Janjaweed.Recently rebels have been blamed for attacks on African Union peacekeepers.In some cases, experts say, the rebel command structure has broken down to the point that the groups represent no constituency and are nothing more than bandits.At the talks’ opening on Saturday the Sudanese government declared an immediate unilateral ceasefire, but the absence of key rebels cast doubt on whether the move could produce meaningful progress.The talks are the first attempt to gather Darfur rebels and the government around a negotiating table since 2006 when the AU mediated Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria.Signed by only one rebel faction, the Abuja deal had little support among the 2 million Darfuris in displacement camps.Rather than bring peace, it triggered fresh violence, as rebels split into more than a dozen factions, some preying on civilians, aid workers and AU troops sent to the region to quell the violence but unable to protect themselves.Nampa-Reuters