Minni Arko Minawi, the leader of Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) said they presented a proposal on how the first round of talks on Darfur should be conducted as required by the African Union mediation.

Minawi told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that the proposal was presented by a unified delegation comprised of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction led by him.

He said the proposal was divided into national issues and the Darfur problem. The rebel leader added that the national issues include a constitutional conference that is supposed to start in Addis Ababa.

Minawi further said their position on national issues aligns with that of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N), which is battling the government in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile region.

“With respect to Darfur issues, we will discuss the status of the region and its relations with the federal government as well as issues pertaining to refugees and internally displaced people, besides compensations,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Amin Hassan Omar, the head of government delegation at the talks with Darfur rebels said they were not mandated to negotiate a constitutional conference nor inclusive talks in Addis Ababa.

He said the national dialogue is the right forum where inclusive issues can be discussed by the Sudanese. Omer said this round of talks will be a follow-up on the earlier Doha peace agreement on Darfur.

“So the Doha document is the only reference for the ongoing negotiations,” he said.

The leading Islamist figure urged the Darfur armed movements to concentrate on how a ceasefire deal can be reached based on the Doha document.

Separately, a source close to the peace talks between the Sudanese government and SPLA-N rebels in Addis Ababa said that the AUHIP mediators invited the two warring parties to attend a meeting yesterday.

File photo: Amin Hassan Omar