August 14, 2012 (KHARTOUM) — Darfur’s former rebel group, Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) welcomed a "splint" within the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and called on the breakaway group to join the Doha Document for peace in Darfur (DDPD).

Tadjadine Bechir Niam, Minister of Reconstruction, Development and Infrastructure in Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) and eading member of the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) speaks to Ashorooq TV during the Doha talks (File Photo)

Strong rumours are spreading about a new dissidence within Darfur’s largest rebel group since the removal of its general commander Bakheit Abdallah Abdel-Karim (Dabajo) on 9 August. JEM however denied such crack in its ranks reaffirming that he is still a member in the rebel group.

Dabajo still did not issue a statement announcing his dissent.

Speaking from Khartoum with Sudan Tribune, Tadjadine Bechir Niam, Minister of Reconstruction, Development and Infrastructure in Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) and LJM leading member said Dabajo has now formed a breakaway group called on him and his supporters to join Darfur peace process.

Niam who was LJM top negotiator during the Doha process asserted that the DDPD still keeps some positions in the national and regional structures for JEM, which was part in the Doha talks but refused to sign the deal they reached at the end of the talks in July 2011.

"There are vacant positions, three state-ministers and a minister at the federal level besides the position of a governor in Darfur, three ministers at the Darfur regional Authority and the speaker of the regional assembly."

He said they have strong intelligence confirming the dissidence of Dabajo adding he has been against the rapprochements of the group with South Sudanese government and the extension of fighting to outside Darfur region.

Niam was a former JEM member who broke away from the group with Bahar Idriss Abu Garda in October 2007 and formed JEM Collective Leadership.

Abubakar Hamid Nour, JEM Secretary for Organizational and Administrative Affairs denied two days ago a communiqué distributed to media by an email with his name.

The communiqué was signed by Dabajo and other commanders who are supposedly splinted with him explains the reasons of their defection from the group and criticise Gibril Ibrahim’s leadership of the group.

"The Statement is a work of opportunistic groups affiliated to security agents of GoS," Abubakar said.

In a meeting with Sudanese opposition leaders in Khartoum attended by Vice President Al-Haj Adam Youssef, the head of DDPD follow-up office Amin Hassan Omer said they are in contact with prominent members among JEM rebels who have promised to join the peace process.

He, however, admitted they have no official communication with the rebel group since the end of Doha talks.

(ST)