SLM leader condemns destruction of Darfur’s Haskanita

October 8, 2007 (PARIS) — The founder leader of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), Abdelwahid al-Nur has condemned the destruction of Haskanita town in northern Darfur. He further wondered how parties can launch talks in such hostile environment.

Al-Nur, who rejects the current peace process engaged buy the UN-AU mediation team, pointed out that “such barbaric acts are obviously the deed of Khartoum.” “We used during four years to see on daily basis villages burnt by the Khartoum soldiers and its militias and now we ask our self who is the author of this horrible destruction.”

The rebel leader in a statement to Sudan Tribune urged the international community to pressurize the Sudanese government to accept the swift deployment of the international troops in the region. He also said that Khartoum should refrain from atrocities if it is seriously wants peace.

The South Darfur town of Haskanita that witnessed a deadly attack against African Union (AU) peacekeepers last weekend has been burned down, the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) reported today.

Haskanita, “which is currently under the control of the government troops, was completely burned down, except for a few buildings,” UNMIS said today. The civilian population had reportedly fled to neighbouring areas of Haskanita when the first attack took place on 29 September.

The rebel leader said “Now we see the National Congress Party committing genocide in Darfur every day and on the other hand the same political party violating the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The NCP do not care about the interests of the country or its population all what they want is to remain in power.” He concluded.

Al-Nur added that under such conditions the scheduled peace talks in Libya would complicate the situation because objectively conducive conditions are not there to make successful these negotiations.

He reiterated that conflict suspension should be observed before the talks. Indicating that the issues of protection for the civilians and the evacuation of the new comers are not the root causes of the conflict but consequences of this crisis. He further said the talks should be focused besides the rights of Darfur people on the equal citizenship right for all the Sudanese in order to put and end to the ongoing marginalization of the Sudanese citizens in the different parts of the country.

The attack on the Haskanita base was carried out by an organised group of heavily armed men in 30 vehicles.

It was the the most deadly assault on the peacekeeping force since its deployment in 2004 and the AU, which is now looking to the United Nations to beef up its strength with a planned joint mission, has launched an inquiry.

(ST)