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| Sudanese rebel group, Chad reach accord
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Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) -
The sixth round of Darfur peace talks in Abuja
has received a boost after one of Sudan's two main rebel groups, Justice
and Equality Movement (JEM), dropped its opposition to the co-mediation
of Chad over lingering disagreement between the two.
A statement issued here by talk's mediator African Union (AU) at the
weekend said the JEM and Chad had agreed to work together to return peace
to the troubled Darfur region of Sudan.
The truce was reached in the Chadian capital, Ndjamena, under a platform
provided by the AU Mediation and the Chadian government.
President Idriss Deby reportedly received the JEM delegation to the
Ndjamena parley, which included the movement's chief negotiator Ahmed
Tugod, at the Chadian capital, in the presence of representatives of the
AU Mediation and Chadian co-mediation, led by Baba Gana Kingibe.
The Ndjamena meeting grew out of discussions on the sidelines of the
current session of the Darfur peace talks, which also features the other
rebel group (Sudan Liberation Movement/Army) and the Khartoum government.
Under the six-point accord reached by JEM and Chad, the parties
reaffirmed the role of Chad as a neutral and impartial co-mediator in the
Darfur peace process, as well as the commitment to cooperate with a view
to settling, through dialogue, current and any future problems.
Chad also agreed to facilitate the free movement, in full security within
its territory, of JEM representatives on official assignments related to
the Darfur peace process.
Both parties also agreed to closely cooperate with the international
community to find a speedy and durable solution to the humanitarian
crisis facing the people of Darfur.
"In this regard, they reiterated their commitment to cooperate with AMIS
(African Union Mission in Sudan) and AU Mediation in order to rapidly
restore peace in Darfur," the statement explained.
It also stated the commitment of Chad and JEM to refrain from all actions
capable of undermining the Darfur peace process, tasking both parties to
abide by all the commitments agreed to at the Ndjamena meeting.
JEM had consistently opposed the co-mediation of Chad in the Darfur talks
in Abuja since it opened in 2003.
The sixth session of the talks opened two weeks ago, and is widely
believed to offer a good platform for the final resolution to the almost
three-year-old Darfur crisis, which has claimed about 200,000 lives and
left over 2 million homeless.
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Abuja - 26/09/2005 |
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