JEM leader says all detainees and POWs are released

October 16, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Leader of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Gibril Ibrahim said they have released all detainees and Prisoners of War (POWs) from the government army and breakaway factions pointing they are waiting for the Red Cross to transfer them to their families.

Last month, JEM announced the release of all detainees and POWs from government forces in response to appeals from religious leaders, civil society organizations and prestigious national figures.

Ibrahim told Sudan Tribune on Saturday in Paris that they have “released all government POWs and pardoned JEM defectors who were tried for high treason”.

“We went to the Red Cross and handed them the issue and they are making arrangements to issue permissions from various governments … they are now on this stage and we hope they complete their procedures … we wish the POWs arrive to their families,” he added.

He stressed that his movement is committed to its pledge regarding the release of the POWs, saying this obligation is “irreversible”.

It is noteworthy that several JEM defectors have been detained by the movement since three years ago.

Last month, the political advisor of the (JEM-Dabago), a breakaway group from JEM, Nahar Osman Nahar, told Sudan Tribune that more than 100 POWs and detainees are currently being held in JEM’s prisons including former members of the executive office and commanders from the movement such as Hashim Haroun besides other civilian detainees.

He said that nine detainees from JEM-Dabago are still detained by JEM after 9 others managed to flee from the movement’s prisons in Deim Zubeir Camp in Western Bahr el Ghazal region, South Sudan.

(ST)