Envoy demands former Darfur rebels to protect Chinese peacekeepers
February 26, 2008 (NYALA) – China’s special envoy for Darfur urged former rebel groups to protect Chinese peacekeepers working in the war torn region during a visit to South Darfur state on Tuesday.
Liu Guijin, requested Darfur former rebel movements, signatories of Abuja peace agreement in May 2006 with the Sudanese government, to protect Chinese engineers working in the implementation of Nyala water project in Greida Basin which is located in areas controlled by those groups.
The 140 Chinese engineers arrived in south Darfur’s capital Nyala on November 24, 2007 to pave the way for a 26,000-strong United Nations/African Union force which took over peacekeeping in Darfur in January.
The Chinese deployment comes amid accusations by human rights activists and Darfur rebel movements that China is partly responsible for Darfur’s chaos because of its staunch military and diplomatic backing of the Sudanese government.
Rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) have accused China of stocking the crisis by supporting Khartoum. The rebel groups don’t view the Chinese as neutral peacekeepers and have opposed their deployment. IDPs also had staged a protest to manifest to the participation of “Khartoum’s army supplier” in their protection.
JEM attacked a Chinese-controlled oil installation last month in the central Sudanese region of Kordofan near Darfur, last December.
Liu Guijin during a visit to Ottash displaced camp, called on the government and rebels to resume peace talks to end the suffering of the IDPs and to speed up the deployment of the peacekeeping troops in the region.
He further said that 175 Chinese peacekeepers will soon arrive in the region to join the 140 engineers increasing the number of the Chinese troops to 315. Also he said that 100 Chinese technicians would arrive soon to work in Greida Basin.
The Chinese envoy inaugurated Nyala ambulance service, which includes 7 ambulances to the hospitals of South Darfur and visited sites of Chinese troops in the state.
(ST)