SLM’s Nur threatens to declare war against Khartoum if attacks on IDP’s continue
September 6, 2010 (PARIS) – Abdel Wahid Al-Nur, leader of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-AW) warned today that he will “declare total war” if the government militias continue attacks on the camps of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
“If these crimes against civilians continue inside the camps, we will escalate violence against the government and will call on the IDPs and all our people to wage war against the regime in the whole country and not only in Darfur.”
The rebel leader was reacting to the reported death of more than 70 people in Tabra, in northern Jebel Marra, North Darfur state and 6 others in Al-Hamidiya camp, near Zalingei in West Darfur state following attacks by government militias respectively on Thursday and Saturday last week.
The attacked settlements are known for their support of Paris based rebel leader but Khartoum denied the attack on Tabra village saying its troops only repelled a rebel assault near the village.
In Al Hamidiya, the government accused elements of the SLA-AW of attacking supporters of another group participating in Doha peace process.
Al-Nur said since the attack on Kalma last July he continue to ask the residents of the different camps in the region to not respond to the attacks, to maintain calm and to not escalate tension.
“We also met in July with the Qatari state minister for foreign affairs and we pledged to work for peace with the mediator Djibril Bassole and the host country,” he said. “However, the government of the National Congress Party (NCP) now moved the conflict to IPDs camps and civilians are killed on daily basis,” he further said.
After Kalma incidents, the office of the UN Secretary General cautioned in a letter to the head of UNAMID Ibrahim Gambari that the handover of IDPs will escalate tensions inside the region.
UN officials expressed fears that growing violence there would undermine ongoing efforts to end the conflict in Doha, and recommended to UNAMID to not hand over the six people sheltered in its police center in Kalma.
Nur reiterated that the SLM wants peace and stability in the region and across the country because it is in the interest of all the parties but cautioned he “cannot accept to see a genocide taking place inside the camps with the silence of the international community and aggravated by the failure of its peacekeeping mission on the ground”.
“UNAMID has become a bad reporter of what is going on the ground and abandoned its principal mandate related to the protection of civilians,” he said. “Its leadership also have become like government officials,” he added.
The hybrid mission is facing huge criticism from the two sides in the conflict. Gambari said after his appointment he wants to make peace because there is no peace to keep. He also extended the mission efforts to humanitarian assistance, rehabilitation and development.
However, he is accused of neglecting the protection of civilians particularly when they are under imminent danger, while the mandate of the mission requires to intervene for their protection.
(ST)