Darfur JEM severs contacts with AU Mbeki panel
July 6, 2009 (WASHINGTON) — The Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) announced today that it will not deal with the African Union (AU) panel that is looking into ways to resolve the conflict into the Western region of Sudan.
The AU rallied behind Bashir and criticized the warrant saying it will severely impede peace efforts throughout Sudan.
The commission has been tasked with looking into ways to balance accountability with bringing peace into Darfur and will submit a report to the AU in July.
Last week the AU summit held in Libya issued a resolution saying that its ICC members will not cooperate with the court in the apprehension of Bashir though states such as Botswana announced they will not abide by this decision.
JEM issued a statement today saying that the AU decision is a “blatant bias against the victims and siding with the perpetrator”.
“They chose to convert the AU from an organization aimed at serving the aspirations of the people of the continent in unity, development and prosperity….to one where they show solidarity to protect themselves and their reign and standing against the interests of the people”.
The Darfur rebel movement said that as Mbeki’s panel established by the AU is “an offspring from the original [AU organization] which calls for impunity…to find ways to save the villain from international prosecution”.
“Even though we held our pens and tongues in the past period besides addition to our dissatisfaction with Mbeki’s unrelenting support to Bashir and his refusal to receive any rebel groups or listen to its point of views during his term of power, but the AU decision in Sirte destroyed the last hope for any cooperation between the movement and Mbeki’s panel”.
JEM said that in line with the Darfur IDP’s refusal to deal with the panel adding that the conflict can be resolved through justice and returning rights.
The Darfur movement said it apologizes to other “genuine” members of Mbeki’s panel who came “to help the people of Sudan to get out of the crisis it is in”.
(ST)
Elhag
Darfur JEM severs contacts with AU Mbeki panel
JEM is totally corrected in this great decision, as all of us know, the former South African president Thabo Mbeki was been feed wrong information, that Darfur conflict started as a result of their dissatisfaction with the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA), and that the Darfurian are just obstacles towards implementation of the CPA. Convinced by such allegations which only served Khartoum interests, Mbeki and whoever evolves around that concept, are just serving Khartoum interests.
On other hand, such view forgot that Sudanese people liberation Movement/Army was been joined by Darfurian since 1983, before any Northern, and that SPLM/A sent a force to Darfur in 1991, which fueled the conflict, when Khartoum regime convinced some Arabs in Darfur that SPLM/A is aiming them. And when the two Movements of SLM/A and JEM started in 2003 as a defensive measure, the IGAD peace tolks was in a great hurdle, but it got momentum as a precautions by Khartoum from what these Movements together with SPLM/A could do. Thus Mbeki over jumped many facts and factors, to reached to sad conclusion which backing the aggressors. But time will tell, and we may one day know who sold our ancestors.
jualian daniel
Darfur JEM severs contacts with AU Mbeki panel
The JEM’s refusal to deal with the AU panel is genuine. It is now clear that the AU panel under the leadership of Mbeki will not resolve these conflicts in the satisfaction of the two parties. The international community should find a way under a trusted mediator to act on these conflict. The existence of conflict in a peaceful country is useless unless the whole surrounding area is made peaceful.
I appeal to all peace loving leaders world wide to provide support to this conflict for the sake of peace in the world.