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Darfur Rebel Group to Negotiate Post-Conflict Qatar Donation

   Peter Clottey 14 October 2010
   UN delegates attend a meeting with Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Ahmad
   Karti in Khartoum, 09 Oct 2010 on the last day of an official visit to
   Sudan by UN Security Council ambassadors

Photo: AFP

   UN delegates attend a meeting with Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Ahmad
   Karti in Khartoum, 09 Oct 2010 on the last day of an official visit to
   Sudan by UN Security Council ambassadors

   The  secretary  for peace negotiations for the Darfur-based Liberation
   and  Justice  Movement  (LJM)  said his group will be negotiating with
   Sudanâs  government  on  how  to  disburse  the  $2 billion donated by
   Qatarâs government.

   Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani donated the money to set
   up   a   Darfur   Development   Bank   after   peace  returns  to  the
   conflict-plagued region.

   Tadjadine  Beshir  Niam told VOA his group is a unionist movement that
   is  not  interested  in  secession  of  the  Darfur region from Sudan,
   despite what he calls Khartoumâs often broken promises.

   âWe want to have a workshop and we want to see how this $2 billion can
   be  arranged in order (for it) to contribute to the reconstruction and
   the development of Darfur.â

   Niam also said the talks with Khartoum are progressing steadily.

   âOn  the 19^th of this month, the steering committee is going to raise
   a report with the mediation on the agreed and the non-agreed (issues).
   Then,  the  mediation  is  going  to produce a final document for both
   partners to sign, if it is acceptable to them.â

   The  rebels  are  currently  holding  negotiations with President Omar
   Hassan  al-Bashirâs  government  in  the  Qatari capital Doha aimed at
   resolving the crisis in Darfur.

   Niam  said  the  LJM  is  hopeful  the ongoing negotiations will yield
   positive results for the people of Darfur.

   âWe  decided  also  to  have  wider  consultations  with the people of
   Darfur,  including  IDPâS  (Internally Displaced People), refugees, as
   well as those in the Diaspora, to talk to them about the importance of
   having these meetings (the Doha talks).â

   Niam  said the outstanding issues include power sharing. âThe question
   of  the  region  of Darfur is the main challenge between the parties,â
   Niam said.

   âWhile  the  LJM delegation insists on reinstituting the region as one
   of  the  important aspects of the agreement,â he said, âthe government
   is  still  (unyielding).  We  have  the vice (president) as one of the
   issues  because (we) strongly believe that the people of Darfur should
   be represented (in the) presidency as the vice (president). And, also,
   we have an issue of compensation.â

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