The Sudanese government will release 24 detainees involved in the Darfur conflict as a goodwill gesture before planned peace talks with rebels, the country’s justice minister said Saturday.
The announcement comes after Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir, met with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamid bin Khalifa Al Thani, in Khartoum.
Qatar has been mediating talks between the government of al-Bashir and Darfur’s strongest rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement.
Last week, the two sides agreed to exchange prisoners as a goodwill gesture before more talks, and JEM said they released 21 government soldiers.
Justice Minister Abdel-Basset Sabdarat said the president decided to pardon the 24 prisoners ”in support of the Qatari initiative.” He did not identify the prisoners.
The rebel group has emerged as the most effective military challenge to the government of Sudan. Its fighters attacked the outskirts of the capital last May, in the first such march on the capital by Darfur rebels.
Human rights groups said hundreds of Darfurians were detained after the attack. About 50 JEM members, including senior commanders, were also
tried and sentenced to death in hastily convened trials in August.
Their release would be a major concession and would require a presidential pardon.
Fighting erupted in 2003 when ethnic African rebels revolted against the Arab-dominated central government, accusing it of neglect and discrimination. About 300 000 people have died and another 2,7-million have been displaced.
A week of peace talks in Qatar this month were the first round of negotiations between government and rebels since 2007. But only JEM took part in the talks, leaving many other rebel groups out and casting doubt over how far such talks can go in dealing with the conflict. – Sapa-AP