Sudan opposes UN’s participation in S. Sudan ambush probe

Mar 22, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese government opposed the participation of the UN force in a probe on the alleged ambush on a military convoy belonging to the Southern Sudan Defence Forces (SSDF) in Abyei region over two weeks ago.

The joint military committee today held an emergency meeting in Khartoum to discuss the alleged ambush.

During a press conference today, the commander of the UN forces in Sudan and chairman of the military committee, Lt-Gen Jasper Singh Lidder, said the meeting centred around setting up a probe committee into the incident.

He said that the decision to set up the committee had not yet been made because of differences in points of view regarding the UN’s participation in investigations.

“The armed forces’ representative has rejected the UN’s participation in the probe committee saying investigations into the Abyei incident was a pure duty of the joint defence committee, which includes the government and the SPLA”, he said.

The joint military committee includes the Sudanese armed forces, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army and the UN.

“Our view is that it is necessary for the UN to participate in the investigations so it may ensure fairness. The peace agreement says the UN should intervene in such cases”, Lidder added.

Lidder said the deployment of the armed forces and the SPLA was progressing slowly. He said the SPLA had not yet withdrawn from eastern Sudan because of obstacles.

Lidder said the armed forces had promised to help the SPLA move its forces from the east.

(ST)