Minawi to quit govt if Sudan continues to reject Darfur force

April 4, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Former Darfur rebel leader and senior presidential aide said Khartoum should allow the deployment of the international peacekeepers in Darfur. He further threatened to quit the government.

The president of the republic’s senior assistant, chairman of the interim authority for the Darfur states and leader of a faction of Sudan Liberation Movement, Minni Arkoi Minawi, said his movement would continue participating within the government under three main conditions. By allowing international forces to Darfur to provide humanitarian assistance, presenting suspects involved in humanitarian violations to the International Criminal Court and disarming the militia.

During Monday April 2 funeral procession of the ten members of his group killed at the end of the last month in clashes with the Sudanese police in Khartoum, Minawi said “Am I apathetic and yet my family are in refugee camps?” He said: “I am more apathetic than that!!” I will not give up the three conditions”.

He said the government did not present a clear view for containing the crisis in Darfur. He further said all solutions were impossible apart from an international protection.

Minawi went on to say that the peace agreement “is not wrong but those who implement it were wrong”. He hinted that he would resign from government by saying: “Conditions must be implemented, or else”. He did not complete his statement and those present clapped.

(ST)