“No Secret Deal”

Sudan’s government has denied reports of a secret deal with the Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) which paved the way for a preliminary peace accord signed this week. “The preliminary framework agreement in Ndjamena includes a temporary ceasefire and sets groundwork on which negotiations can commence. Items include humanitarian issues, IDP’s, wealth and power sharing, release of Darfuri war prisoners. Full blown negotiations will resume in Doha shortly and Sudan says it expects concluding it by March 15. The head of the Sudanese delegations in Doha talks Amin Hassan Omer told the government sponsored Sudanese Media Center (SMC) website that there have been no secret meetings or agreement with the rebel group saying that these are speculations and fears made by other Darfuri movements which are not part of the accord. A breakaway faction of JEM led by Idris Azrag slammed the accord saying that it throws a cold shower on the efforts to unite the Darfur rebel groups currently in Qatar. The group said that this is an outcome of ‘secret compromise’ between the two sides under [specific] terms.”