Prominent Darfur rebel leader arrives in Khartoum after joining peace deal

Abul-Qasim Imam, a prominent rebel leader in Sudan's Darfur, on Saturday arrived in the Sudanese capital Khartoum after joining Darfur peace deal.

Last January, Imam, Leader of Sudan Liberation Movement -Second Revolution (SLM-SR), signed an agreement with the Sudanese government to officially join the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), which was signed in 2011.

"We returned to Khartoum today upon the movement's belief in peace," Imam told reporters upon arrival at Khartoum airport Saturday.

"We found that the Sudanese national dialogue represents a new road for the peace process in Sudan besides its contribution to discussion of all Sudan's issues," he added.

Imam further announced that his movement is making contacts with other armed movements in Darfur to persuade them to join the peace process in Sudan and join the DDPD.

Meanwhile, the Sudanese government welcomed Imam's joining of the DDPD.

"The Sudanese government welcomes the return of the movement and its joining of the DDPD and the Sudanese national dialogue," Magdi Khalaf, Sudan government's official in charge of Darfur Peace Office, told reporters Saturday.

About 10 years ago, Imam signed a peace deal with the Sudanese government in Tripoli, Libya, that stipulated setting up security arrangements, return of the displaced people and disarmament of the armed factions besides increasing the compensation for the affected population in Darfur to 100 million U.S. Dollars and establishing a fund to compensate the affected families.

However, in 2010, Imam turned against the deal after losing his post as Governor of West Darfur State and joined the SLM/Abdul-Wahid Nur faction before defecting again.

Source: Xinhua