AU calls for better cooperation with former Darfur rebels
June 10, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The African Union mission in Darfur called Sunday for better cooperation between its peacekeepers and the former rebels now aligned with the Sudanese government — and demanded the ex-rebels return a dozen vehicles they have stolen.
Sudan’s army and allied militias known as the janjaweed are accused of the bulk of the violence against civilians in Darfur, where over 200,000 people have died and 2,5 million been displaced in four years of fighting in this western Sudanese region.
But Darfur’s dozen splinter rebel factions are blamed for many of the hijackings that are seriously hindering efforts of aid workers in the region.
Such is also the case with troops loyal to Minni Minawi _the only rebel leader to sign the May 2005 Darfur Peace Agreement.
In one recent case, a former rebel patrol clashed with AU soldiers during a road accident and then captured 13 of the peacekeepers’ cars.
This constitutes “a serious violation and a manifestation of bad faith” in the Darfur peace deal, AU chief of mission Monique Mukaruliza said, warning that the car-hijacking had “paralyzed AU activities” in that part of Darfur.
AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni said that the former rebels had restituted one AU vehicle hijacked in a separate incident, but hadn’t returned any of the 13 cars.
“We absolutely need to have better cooperation with Minawi’s field commanders to improve the situation on the ground,” Mezni said.
Mohamed Beshir, Minawi’s chief of staff, said that the group’s commanders have received orders to release the cars but that “it’s difficult” and that such “kind of discipline problem” exists “in any guerrilla movement.”
Minawi’s Sudan Liberation Movement has been linked to several serious incidents. Its members were suspected in a raid on aid compounds last December during which a French humanitarian worker was raped. International observers also suspect the former rebels of an ambush that killed five AU peacekeepers in April.
The U.N. mission in Sudan also said Minawi’s men carjacked, then detained six international aid workers for a day last week in northern Darfur.
More recently, Khartoum newspapers quoted Sudanese officials investigating the murder of an Egyptian Lt. Colonel as saying the suspects were men linked to Minawi’s movement.
The Egyptian was the first U.N. peacekeeper to be killed in Darfur since the world body began efforts to reinforce the beleaguered African mission in the region. U.N. officials declined to confirm the suspicions, saying it was too early in the investigation to draw conclusions.
Beshir, the SLM chief of staff, adamantly denied implications in any of the incidents. “So far, nobody has brought forward any proof that any of our men were involved,” Beshir said, adding that “if someone took part in any of these crimes, he would immediately be punished.”
But SLM leaders acknowledge a lack of discipline, claiming it’s partly the international community’s fault because it hasn’t fulfilled pledges under the peace deal to support and payroll the former rebels.
Mohamed Eltigani, the SLM’s main negotiator with Khartoum, blamed the central government in Khartoum for not sticking to the peace deal, especially for not disarming the janjaweed as required.
U.N. and AU officials have expressed hope to revive the peace process by a new round of talks with splinter rebel leaders. Several of Sudan’s neighbors, such as Chad, Eritrea and Libya, are influential with the rebels and have been working to bring them back to negotiations with Khartoum.
Eltigani said the SLM was willing to back efforts for new, crucial talks with rival Darfur rebel groups which rejected the peace deal.
(AP)