Darfur rebels urge world to help politics, not just humanitarian crisis
ASMARA, July 10 (AFP) — Rebels whose revolt against Sudan’s government led to a brutal backlash in their western Darfur region have urged international powers not to ignore the political issues at the root of the humanitarian disaster.
“We respect the international community for their care of the humanitarian situation in Darfur”, said Abdel Wahid Mohamed Nour, leader of one of the two main rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Movement (MLS), late Friday.
“But also we demand them, kindly but strongly, to include the political situation” in their efforts to resolve the Darfur crisis, he told AFP here in the Eritrean capital.
“The humanitarian siutation is a result of the political situation.”
Indigenous ethnic minorities in Darfur rose up against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum in February 2003 to protest their region’s marginalization and lack of state support.
In response, Khartoum staged a massive retaliation and backed pro-government Arab Janjaweed militias which have carried out what UN officials say is a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing against black Africans.
The dire situation, in which a million have been driven from their homes and more than 10,000 people killed, has drawn massive international concern and piled pressure on Khartoum.
Nour said the MLS had not decided whether it would attend talks planned for July 15 between Darfur’s belligerent sides in the Ethiopian capital.
The other main rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), said last week it was boycotting the event since it had not been consulted in its organization.
The JEM also complained that an April 8 ceasefire brokered by neighboring Chad had been repeatedly broken the government and its allied militiamen.
Darfur’s political conflict has remained at a standstill even as aid groups have stepped up their relief efforts there. A meeting in April in Chad between the belligerent sides ended only with an agreement to meet again.
Nour warned that Sudanese authorities flouted promises made to the international community to helping the Janajaweed.
“The government is giving police ID (identification) cards and military ID cards to the Janjaweed,” he told AFP.
Violations of the ceasefire continued, as did mass destruction of villages, he said.
“During the last two weeks, the government has violated the ceasefire 70 times. They have burned many villages between Nyala and Al-Deien,” according to the rebel leader.
On the humanitarian front, Khartoum has been obliged to publicly acknowledge the crisis and pledge to stem the bloodshed.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan extracted a promise from Sudanese President Omar el-Beshir to crack down on the Janjaweed militia and help protect the destitute villagers.
The African Union also decided earlier this week to deploy a 300-strong “protection force” by the end of the month.
Beshir arrived in Darfur, in the city of Geneina, on Saturday to hold a meeting with Chadian President Idriss Deby.