Sudan: Rebels form new alliance

2006-06-30 20:21

Asmara - Three Darfur rebel groups formed a new alliance to fight Khartoum on Friday.

The three had refused to sign an African Union-mediated peace deal for the troubled western Sudanese region.

Officials from the groups created the National Redemption Front (NRF) after talks in the Eritrean capital.

They also reaffirmed their opposition to the Abuja peace agreement, signed by one rebel army and the Sudanese government on May 5.

According to a "founding declaration" released in Asmara. the NRF consists of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), a holdout faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Sudan Federal Democratic Alliance (SFDA).

"We, leaders of political and military organisations abstaining from signing the Abuja document ... reaffirm our rejection of that faulty process," read a group statement.

"Realising the virtues of combining efforts and resources to end the suffering of our people, we hereby join hands in establishing the National Redemption Front (NRF), as an instrument for co-ordinating political, military, diplomatic and media initiatives."

Front to 'deal with Sudan's issues'

The declaration was signed by JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim, Khamis Abdalla Abakar of the dissident SLM faction, and Sharif Harir and Ahmed Ibrahim Diraige from the SFDA. All said the May peace deal did not go far enough.

Ibrahim said the new group would accept any movement that opposed the Abuja agreement and the policies of the Sudanese government in general.

"This front is open to all other movements who do not accept the Abuja document," he said. "This front will not only deal with the Darfur issue but all the issues in Sudan."

There has been strong pressure on holdout groups to accept the AU-mediated Darfur peace agreement.

The agreement aimed to end three years of war in Darfur. About 300 000 people have been killed in the conflict, and 2.4 million displaced.

The pan-African body has threatened sanctions on groups that do not sign the accord.

Friday's declaration of the new front comes on the eve of a summit of AU leaders in Gambia.

The leaders are expected to renew calls for Sudan to accept the transfer of the bloc's Darfur peacekeeping mission to the United Nations.

- AFP