A United Nations report said that two rebel groups were driven out of Darfur region by Sudanese army offensive are now active in Libya and South Sudan, according to middleeastmonitor.com.
A panel of international experts said in their report that after the United States eased its sanctions on Friday on Khartoum, the Sudanese government has “more leeway to pursue a Darfur deal on its own terms”.
According to the report, the Sudanese Liberation Army led by Minni Minnawi (SLA/MM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) no longer “have a significant presence in Darfur as a result of the government’s effective counterinsurgency strategy”.
“JEM now operates mostly in South Sudan, while SLA/MM operates mainly in Libya. These groups are engaged in mercenary activities and, allegedly, in criminal activities in those countries,” it added.
The report said both groups have adopted a “waiting strategy” working to rebuild their fighting forces in Libya and South Sudan until there are “new opportunities to re-engage in Darfur with strengthened military capabilities,”.
This leaves only one other group controlling some territory in Darfur: the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA/AW) led by Abdul Wahid al-Nour.
The UN Security Council will discuss the situation in Darfur Friday.
The Sudanese authorities extended on Sunday a six-month cease-fire in three main conflict areas; the Darfur region and the states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
