JEM urges to evacuate 33 POWs saying some are gravely injured

June 8, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — The rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) launched an urgent appeal to evacuate 33 Prisoners of War (POWs) it captured during recent clashes with the Sudanese army in Darfur saying some of them are gravely injured.

Suleiman Jamous, the humanitarian official in the rebel group Monday told Sudan Tribune they had contacted the Red Cross to transport the wounded soldiers but Sudanese authorities were not willing to give the necessary authorization to evacuate them.

“We do not have the needed medical personnel to treat them and we fear they may die if they do not receive the required attention,” said the veteran rebel.

“Due to the humanitarian emergency, we are ready to deliver them at any time,” he further stressed.

JEM rebels fought recently against the Sudanese army in different areas of the troubled Darfur. Jamous said the concerned POWs were captured during clashes in Uzban Douma and Tawaisha in southern Darfur on June 3.

The rebel group which had signed a cessation of hostilities agreement with the Sudanese government on February 23, suspended last month its participation in the peace talks accusing the government army of attacking its positions in Darfur.

JEM posed a number of conditions to rejoin the negotiating table and demands, among others, the return of its leader Khalil Ibrahim to Darfur and to reshape the peace talks in a way to form a single track of negotiations. Currently there are two parallel talks one with JEM and the other with the Liberation and Justice Movement.

(ST)