October 4, 2012 (KHARTOUM) — A Sudanese official said Darfur rebel groups have to reconsider their negative position from the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) and join it after the recent signing of security deal with South Sudan.

Sudan and South Sudan agreed to stop harbouring and supporting rebel groups from both sides. A joint ministerial committee is expected to meet next week in Juba to discuss the implementation of a deal signed on 27 September in Addis Ababa.

Amin Hassan Omer, head of the DDPD implementation follow-up office, called on the hold-out rebel groups to reassess their position from the peace framework document signed in Doha with the Liberation and Justice Movement on 14 July 2012.

Amin, in statements to Al-Sahafa daily newspaper of Thursday however underscored that the government will not open the DDPD for more discussions.

"The government will not open a new process for the armed groups but they can join it. If they accept, the government will discuss with them on the arrangement related to their movements," he stressed.

Following the DDPD endorsement by Khartoum and LJM, the two sides signed other deals related to the participation of the former rebel group in the national and regional institutions and another agreement dealing with the security arrangements.

In May 2011 international community envoys urged Khartoum to maintain the would be DDPD opened to the other rebel groups as there was a hope that Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) might accept the deal and join it.

However, at the signing in July of last year, JEM said it accept the DDPD only as a foundation on which further talks can be engaged but Khartoum rejected the demand.

Sudan Liberation Movement of Abdel Wahid Al-Nur (SLM-AW) did not join the Doha process, as the government said that SLM- Minni Minnawi cannot join the DDPD but has to negotiate the unimplemented provisions of Abuja agreement of May 2006.

Recently a splinter faction of JEM led by Mohamed Bashr Ahmed said they are ready for talks with the Sudanese government which contacted them through the Chadian president. But the rebel group has first to hold a general conference next November.

JEM, and SLM factions formed in November 2011 an alliance with Sudan People’s Liberation Movement - North. The Sudanese Revolutionary Front vows to topple the regime by political and military means.

However following a resolution by the UN Security Council in May 2012, SPLM-N has to hold political talks with Khartoum government. The process seems difficult to start seriously but the international community is expected to put more pressure on the two sides to engage direct talks.

(ST)