Darfur IDPs reject Juba Conference

June 14, 2007 (NYALA, South Darfur) — Darfur’s displaced rejected invitation by the leader of the SPLM to participate in Juba conference to unify the positions of the Darfur non-signatories rebels before the peace talks with Khartoum.

21 IDPs’ chiefs said they would refuse to participate in the Juba conference. They also called upon the First Vice-president and SPLM leader, Lt Gen Salva Kiir Mayardit, to visit the camps and assess the situation on the ground.

The IDPs chiefs further said they didn’t send any body to represent them in this meeting. The also said that they have one representative who is Abdelwhaid Al-Nur

Hussein Abu Sharty, the spokesperson of the IDPs chiefs, said in a press statement that the IDPs representatives wanted to tell Kiir that the SPLM was a friend of the people in Darfur but now it is part of the Government of National Unity.

He said that the SPLM knew that the government was bombing and killing civilians in the camps adding that they had not heard Government of Southern Sudan condemning this hideous action.

The IDPs representatives also called upon Salva Kiir, to visit the camps and assess the situation on the ground.

Abu Sharty said if Salva Kiir wants to resolve the Darfur crisis he should act to disarm the Janjaweed militia.

The chiefs of the IDPs camps also urged Salva Kiir to persuade its political partner the National Congress Party (NCP) to end military operations and the killing of IDPs and refugees in the camps.

They also called for a UN peacekeeping force, and for the restoration of the individual or group rights of the IDPs and refugees.

(ST)