Sudans most active rebel group – JEM – has signed an agreement which paves the way for broader peace talks aimed at ending the six-year conflict in Darfur, BBC online reports Tuesday.
The declaration of intent was sealed a day after the deal was announced between Darfurs Justice and Equality Movement and the Khartoum government.
The accord was struck in Qatar, which has been mediating a week of talks. It includes an end to attacks on more than two million people in refugee camps and an exchange of prisoners.
But hanging over the agreement is a proposed indictment from the International Criminal Court of Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir for alleged crimes. And other rebel groups are refusing to talk to the government.
BBC notes, that by reaching this deal now, the government in Khartoum is signalling that it is moving on peace – under intense pressure from the international community.
JEM spokesman Dr Eltahir Adam Elfaki said the key stumbling block of prisoner exchanges had been overcome.
The United Nations says at least 300.000 people have died and more than 2,2 million have been displaced since the conflict began six years ago. Fighting started after African groups complaining of discrimination at the hands of Sudans Arab-dominated government launched a rebellion.
The government admits mobilising “self-defence militias” in response, though it denies links to the Janjaweed, which has been accused of trying to “cleanse” black Africans from large swathes of territory.
The joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force, Unamid, remains at only about half its planned strength of 26.000, a year after the UN took joint control of the mission.
