Sudan asks Libya for more solidarity on the Darfur crisis

May 24, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The director of Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) Mohamed Atta Al-Moula Abbas met in the Libyan city of Misurata today with Muammar Kaddafi to convey a verbal message from president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.

Abbas told the government sponsored Sudanese Media Center (SMC) that Bashir expressed his appreciation to Libyan support extended “in international and regional arena”.

The Sudanese official however said that his country “expects further solidarity to address the challenges facing Sudan, especially Darfur issue”.

The visit likely discussed the presence of Khalil Ibrahim, the head of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebel group fighting in Darfur. The rebel chief was denied entry into Chad last week after destroying his passport and ordered him to return to Tripoli.

Sudan state media have reported that Libyans informed Ibrahim that they will not allow him a “long presence” on its territory. However, an unidentified Libyan official told the London based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that his country will not pressure JEM chief into doing anything against his will.

The NISS director said he briefed on Sudan’s search for peace in Darfur “in light of Darfur rebels’ continued intransigence toward negotiations particularly JEM and repeated breaches of the agreements concluded with them”.

Last week, the Sudanese government said it has sent letters to all the neighboring countries urging them not to receive the rebel leader on the grounds that the existence of JEM leader on their territories “will not to contribute to termination of the war in Darfur”.

Khartoum further said that Sudan “is waiting for a positive stride from Libya to help realizing peace in Darfur by putting pressure on Khalil Ibrahim to leave directly for Doha and resume the negotiation toward completing the peace process in the region”.

Sudan said it has renewed its request with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to arrest Ibrahim also urged all states not to harbor him and be keen on extraditing him so that he can face the charges pending which are related to the May 2008 military assault on Sudan’s twin capital city of Omdurman.

JEM is one of two rebel groups that took up arms against Sudan’s government in 2003, accusing it of neglecting the remote western region of Darfur and marginalizing its population. The group suspended peace talks with the government, accusing it of breaking a ceasefire and failing to honor an initial peace deal signed in Qatari capital Doha in February.

Recent fighting erupted in Darfur between JEM and government troops has left little hope of renewing a Qatari-sponsored peace process. The Darfur rebels urged the U.N. chief and joint chief mediator to facilitate the return of its leader to Darfur, saying current situation would impede efforts for peace.

(ST)