U.S. and European media

February 10, 2023

Bloomberg: Darfur Rebels Skeptical About Talks With Sudan's Government. The most powerful rebel group in Sudan's Darfur region said it is skeptical about the success of peace negotiations with the government scheduled to begin today in Doha, Qatar. "We have a lot of doubts that the other party is serious and coming in good faith," Gebreil Ibrahim, economic adviser for the rebel Justice and Equality Movement, said yesterday in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, "There is a lot of barriers of trust between the two parties." Ibrahim met with Egyptian government officials before leaving for Doha for what is the first attempt to hold talks in almost 18 months. "We think justice and peace got to go hand in hand," he said. "We are not going to trade one for the other."

Reuters: Darfur factions pour scorn on new Sudan talks. Darfur factions poured scorn on new talks between Sudan's government and a single rebel group on Tuesday, saying the meeting would fail because it excluded other movements. Discussions between Sudan's government and Darfur's powerful rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) started in Qatar on Tuesday morning, the first time the warring sides have officially sat down together since 2007. Officials present said both sides made opening statements saying they would discuss confidence-building measures that could pave the way to full peace negotiations. But the criticisms from other Darfur factions underlined the huge challenge facing mediators trying to end Darfur's conflict involving government troops and an increasingly fractious array of rebels, militias, bandits and tribal groups.

Reuters: Darfur gunmen hit peacekeeping helicopter. Unidentified gunmen opened fire on a peacekeeping helicopter on Monday as it flew over Sudan's Darfur region, smashing its windscreen, officials said. The incident highlighted violent tension in the region only hours before the start of exploratory talks between Sudan's government and a powerful rebel faction. The joint U.N./African Union UNAMID peacekeeping mission said its Mi-8 helicopter was hit as it ferried food supplies 70 km (43 miles) southwest of El Fasher, the force's headquarters. "We are lucky no one was injured," said UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni. "This is a very serious incident -- unacceptable. We are here to keep peace. We are not part of the conflict."

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