US officials may privately be unmoved by Sudan-JEM accord
March 2, 2010 (WASHINGTON) – The US Administration, which has publicly welcomed the framework agreement between the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudanese government, nonetheless may be looking at it from a different perspective.
The statement issued by the US State Department following the signing of the truce in Doha hailed the Sudanese government, African Union and United Nations mediation team, Qatari government and Chadian president Idriss Deby who helped broker the deal.
However, the press release from Washington avoided any lauding of the Darfur rebel group.
Today the Inner City Press’ UN-based reporter in New York said that the US ambassador Susan Rice told her P-5 peers at the UN Security Council (UNSC) in a private meeting that the Doha accord is a “mere truce between two Islamists factions”.
Rice’s remarks resemble those of US special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration made in late January during a private meeting with members of the Darfur Diaspora at the United States Institute for Peace (USIP).
One of the figures who attended the meeting told Sudan Tribune that Gration lashed out at JEM and its leader Khalil Ibrahim saying that his ambitions lay beyond Darfur and suggesting that he is eyeing taking over the government in Khartoum.
The Sudanese government and many observers accuse Ibrahim of being an associate of the Islamist opposition leader Hassan Al-Turabi who was the ideological mastermind of the 1989 coup that brought president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir to power.
Khalil Ibrahim held posts in the government in the 90’s and served in the Sudan’s popular defense paramilitary.
In 1999, Turabi who was the parliament speaker at the time fell out with Bashir and was jailed on accusations of conspiracy. He was released in October 2003.
The JEM chief led a bold attack on the Sudanese capital in May 2008 that took the world by surprise but was quickly repelled by Sudanese army. Turabi was briefly arrested afterwards along with a handful of his party members after authorities said that that they have obtained documents and testimony from JEM rebel captives that could implicate him in aiding the raid.
Separately, the US today said it is “extremely concerned” over the fighting between Sudanese army and rebels from Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) led by Abdel-Wahid Al-Nur in Jebel Marra. The UN and SLA has estimated hundreds of civilians to have perished in the bombing but the Sudanese army dismissed the figures.
“The United States urges the Government of Sudan and SLA/AW to refrain from further violence and to allow the Joint African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur access to Jebel Marra to assess the humanitarian situation and restore stability” said the US press release attributed to Philip J. Crowley who is the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the State Department.
“The February 20 ceasefire signed by the Government of Sudan and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) offers an important opportunity to significantly reduce violence in Darfur, but it must be broadened to include other groups. We see any violence on the ground as undermining the spirit of the peace process. The United States reiterates its call on all parties to commit to the AU/UN-mediated Doha peace process to bring a comprehensive and enduring resolution to the conflict in Darfur”.
Al-Nur who lives in exile in France refuses to join the negotiation table saying that security must be achieved on the ground as a prerequisite for peace talks.
(ST)
David_N
US officials may privately be unmoved by Sudan-JEM accord
The United States of America can help Darfur to be the Independent Darfuri nation and fly the Darfur flag on the air?
Just did it to Liberia some years back!
America has power to separate Darfur from Khartoum.
All Darfur needs is it’s own government and own national flags, then Darfur will join with rest of Sub-Saharan states.
No more trouble with Khartoum, so America should help for Independence Darfur Now!
Time1
US officials may privately be unmoved by Sudan-JEM accord
JEM has to be a democratically oriented movement, it has to respect other Darfur factions and also allow the government to sign peace with all rebel groups, JEM cannot say thet it will not allow other rebels in Darfur, this is not logical and will not materilize, JEM has to understand that it represents only a small group of Darfur not all Darfur as being a mostly Zagawa lead group, so it is very critical and wise for JEM to make sure the peace talks is more inclusive by brining int he Fur tribe wich is largely represented by SLM, to say JEM is the sole rebel group to represent Darfur is a dictatorial behavior which will not help JEM in the long rub but will cause them problem with Darfur people and not even with the gvoernment. JEM has to be more inclusive, transparent and more reconciliatory, there is no room for extremism.
David_N
US officials may privately be unmoved by Sudan-JEM accord
The Darfur’s matter is not about tribal conflicts more than Independence of Darfur, because one way or another, the one of Rebel groups are infiltrated by Khartoum or either from N’Djamena group.
The JEM’s role is to sure pushing towards Western African democracy than North Eastern corners of Afro-Asiatic tribes included Egypt, Nobiin, Eastern Libya, and Northern Darfur.
Look, JEM is not actually of Northern Darfur, but came from Western darfur via Chad influenced political matters.
That’s why I urge Darfuri to take Independence as soon as possible, because it will create more problems, if stays longer with Khartoum with Jaarin Bantu Niger-Kodofanian tribes whom came Khartoum long time ago from Nigeria, just like Al-Bashier!