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LJM secretary general renews verbal attacks against Darfur chairman

January 7, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Liberation and Equality Movement (LJM) secretary general, Bahr Idriss Abu Garda, once again criticised the group’s mismanagement by its chairman, Tijani al-Sissi, a move that may widening the gaps between the two men and threatening its group unity.

Bahr Idriss Abu Garda (AFP)
Bahr Idriss Abu Garda (AFP)
Recently, Abu Garada was accused by al-Sissi’s partisans of delaying the implementation of the security arrangements and obstructing the registration of the former rebel group as political party ahead of April general elections.

From his side, LJM secretary general blamed al-Sissi for weakness in his relation with the ruling National Congress Party (NCP). Also, his friend and minister of reconstruction, and Infrastructure in Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) Tadjadine Bechir Niam, denounced the failure of the authority to carry out its mandate and alluded to corruption in the implementation of recovery projects.

On Wednesday, Abu Garda criticised the DRA of creating confusion in the management of the security arrangements, adding he had sent a letter to register the group as a political party without the knowledge of the LJM leadership members.

He further accused al Sissi of dispatching elements that are not members to the group to the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) camps.

This move was a “bad experience”, because it pushed the “real forces to refuse entry to the camps,” he added.

However, he said the LJM forces will join the DDR camps next week and pointd to the visits he had conducted last week to inspect the fighters who did not yet join the security arrangements implementation process in different states.

Abu Garda had led a splinter group from the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) before to create the LJM with other breakaway factions in Darfur.

He and the leaders of other groups sought al-Sissi to lead the movement, thinking that they can keep playing effective role in the new body as the former UN official had no combatants.

Abu Garada went to link between the insecurity in Darfur and the “weak performance” of the DRA, stressing that “the central government to prove its good will” put the security committee in the five states of the region under the authority of al-Sissi.

The DRA chairman avoided up to now to attack his secretary general or to mention his name. Nevertheless, on Tuesday he denied being involved in the management of the reconstruction or the development funds. He said the only money he receives is related to the function of the regional authority.

Qatar, UN agencies and other donors implement directly the projects they committed themselves to establish in the region.

The head of peace office Amin Hassan Omer said these tensions among the former rebels will not impact on the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).

Speaking in a press conference held with the DRA chairman, Omer said the former rebel groups have no armed fighters in Darfur, adding that all their combatants are currently inside the (DDR) camps.

He added these groups work now to transform themselves into political parties.

The state minister also minimised divisions within the rebel groups saying even within the NCP they experienced dissidences and defections.

(ST)

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