Darfur rebel leader demands inquiry on refugee camp raid
By Wasil Ali
August 25, 2007 (LONDON) — The leader of a Darfur rebel faction sent a letter to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon demanding an international inquiry into a recent raid by Sudanese government forces on refugee camp.
Last week Sudanese forces surrounded and attacked Darfur’s most volatile camp on Tuesday to flush out rebels they say are behind recent attacks on police.
The move on Kalma camp, home to 90,000 people, followed two attacks in the past week on police posts in South Darfur, one near Kalma and the other inside al-Salam camp. One policeman was killed and eight injured.
Abdel Shafi said that Darfuri refugees “find themselves continuously humiliated and terrorized in their safe haven camps”.
“The UN has an obligation (according to the law) to protect IDPs and refugees” Abdel Shafi said in the letter.
Abdel Shafi’s faction has been one of several groups to attend the Arusha Tanzania talks earlier this month aimed at uniting the Darfur rebels’ political position.
During a meeting in Arusha, Tanzania earlier this month, most Darfur rebel factions agreed on a common platform to pave the way for final settlement talks with Khartoum.
However following the camp raids Abdel Shafi said his group was “reassessing” its commitment to the internationally-sponsored peace initiative.
Abdel Shafi said in his letter that the attack “raises more questions about the GoS [government of Sudan] true intention to resolve the Sudanese conflict in Darfur through peaceful means”.
The Darfur conflict began in 2003 when an ethnic minority rose up against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum, which then was accused of enlisting the Janjaweed militia group to help crush the rebellion.
(ST)