Damanga is distressed by the beating of two Darfur negotiators

Feb 5, 2006 — Three representatives of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) stand
accused of severely beating two fellow Darfurian negotiators at the Abuja,
Nigeria peace talks.
Mohamed Mansour Kitir, Mohamed Bushara Yahia and Sali Basheer Tiyya brutally
attacked Ibrahim Sideeq and Amani Basheer apparently because the victims had
decided to depart the JEM and join the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA), an
allied party in the talks with the Sudanese government. The victims were
taken to the hospital, and the attackers were expelled from the country.

The Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy condemns this violence in
the strongest terms, and prays for a swift recovery for the victims. This
crime comes at the worst time for the people of Darfur, who continue to
suffer at the hands of the Janjaweed militia and its backers in the Sudanese
government. The attack plays into the hands of the Al-Bashir government who
want nothing more than for the talks to stall as the Darfurian parties
squabble.

Darfurians are fighting for freedom and democracy, and yet the JEM
representatives attacked two of their own people for their choice of
political association. This is shameful, and the people of Darfur
unfortunately will pay the price if the talks are delayed.

While most Darfurian negotiators in Abuja are peaceful and courteous, this
incident highlights the general lack of education, experience, and political
maturity of many of our representatives. Because the Sudanese government
thwarts the educational and occupational aspirations of Darfurian youth, it
is impossible to gain the diplomatic education or experience necessary to
effectuate a successful negotiating strategy. Damanga calls on the
international community to train the Darfurian negotiators and to provide
them with expert assistance.

The JEM must take immediate action to ensure that this atrocious behavior is
not repeated. The JEM must recognize the right of all people to free speech
and political association if it hopes to convince the international
community that it is a serious political force.