Few rebels to attend UN Darfur peace talks

The UN has invited all rebel movements of Sudan in Ethiopia on 9 December. Only the former government ally and rebel leader Minni Minawi has signed up for the technical workshop. One of the main rebel movements led by Abdel Wahid El Nur has declined the invitation, while the Justice and Equality Movement has not yet decided. United Nations-African Union Joint Chief Mediator for Darfur, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, has invited the non-signatory Darfur movements to participate in a ‘technical workshop on all-inclusive peace and security in Darfur’. Abdallah Mursal, the spokesperson for SLM-Minni Minawi told Radio Dabanga that his delegation will discuss all issues, except a peace agreement for only Darfur. SLM-MM will stick to a comprehensive peace agreement for all of Sudan, and reject partial solutions. Abdel Wahid El Nur told Radio Dabanga earlier that the group refuses to participate, because the invitation is preparing negotiations with Khartoum, “which we reject”. He calls for an international conference on the humanitarian situation in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile. Dr Tijani Sese, head of the Darfur Regional Authority for Darfur on Thursday in El Fasher, said yesterday (5 December) that the government needs to engage in a continuous dialogue with the non-signatory rebel movements. File photo: Jibril Ibrahim (JEM), Abdel Wahid El Nur (SLM) and Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) (Radio Dabanga) Related: Unamid head to meet non-signatory Darfur rebels in Addis Ababa (5 December 2013)