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Sudan Offers Amnesty to Armed Groups

Michael Atit

   KHARTOUM - Sudanese authorities who offered amnesty to the leaders of
   armed rebel groups last week held a peace ceremony to welcome them back
   to Khartoum.

   The amnesty, which went into effect immediately after it was announced
   on Thursday, applies to all members of Sudanese opposition groups with
   the exception of those facing war crimes charges in the International
   Criminal Court.

   Thousands of Sudanese citizens chanted, "Welcome to peace" as they beat
   drums and danced at Khartoum's Freedom Yard on Sunday to welcome back
   about a dozen opposition leaders, their bodyguards and nearly 100 other
   members of rebel groups.

   The rebel leaders included Al Hadi Idris, chairman of the Sudan
   Revolutionary Front, an umbrella organization of rebel groups which
   signed a peace agreement with Sudan's transitional government in Juba,
   South Sudan.

   Malik Aggar and Yassir Arman from the SPLM-North Aggar Faction also
   attended the event, as did Sudan Liberation Army head Minni Arco
   Minawi, Justice and Equality Movement's Jibril Ibrahim, and Al Amin
   Dawood of the Beja community.

   Minawi said he came to Khartoum to work with the transitional
   government to help implement the peace deal. "We must work to assume
   responsibility and leave our political differences [aside] so as to
   achieve democracy in our country," said Minawi.

   He said the presence of armed opposition leaders in Khartoum marks the
   end of war in Sudan and the beginning of peace that shifts the
   country's focus to development.

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