Rebel commanders and Darfur IDPs support Israel office

March 2, 2008 (LONDON) – The military command of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and Darfur Internally Persons (IDPs) announced today their support for the inauguration of an office in Israel and denounced Khartoum’s media campaign against their leader.

The National Congress Party (NCP) launched wide scale media campaign against the influential rebel leader Abdel Wahid Al-Nur, saying his relationship with Tel-Aviv would lead to his “political death” and rejection by Darfur people. The NCP officials also said that ties with the Jewish state are in conflict with Darfur Islamic values.

The Sudan Liberation Army military spokesperson Abdel-Rahman Adam Nimer, speaking to Sudan Tribune from Darfur renewed the SLA’s support to their leader.

Nimer said that the military command welcomes the step and expressed his gratitude to Israel for allowing the office to be opened.

Nimer said that the Tel-Aviv office comes in line with the SLM policy aiming to open offices all around the world. He added that those who opened Israeli office fled from Egypt where they were living in bad conditions to Israel which agreed to host them and well treated them.

Commander Nimer slammed what he described as a “campaign of stigmatization led by the Sudanese government in the name of Islam”. He told Sudan Tribune that they are in no need for religious lessons and they are very well aware of the Islamic precepts and have no complex in this regard.

He further wondered if the “genocide perpetrated by Khartoum army and militia has something to do with the Islam?”

“Who committed the genocide and the war crimes in Darfur and destructed the social fabric in Darfur causing the displacement of millions and killing more than two thousands of innocent civilians? Who raped women and killed children? Are all these Islamic values?” he wondered.

The Sudanese presidential advisor, Abdallah Massar, said that Israel would exploit Abdel-Wahid to implement its agenda and trade with his cause. He further said “I know that is planned and premeditated by the Israeli intelligence.”

Nafi Ali Nafi was the first to attack the rebel leader saying that he “placed the Darfuris in Israel to convert them to Judaism.” He also said that the rebel office in Israel proves that foreign hands are manipulating the Darfur crisis and shows the role of the Jewish lobby in the crisis.

DISPLACED EXACERBATION

Hussein Abu-Sharati, the spokesperson of Darfur displaced and refugees sounded more infuriated during a telephone interview with Sudan Tribune from Darfur.

He vehemently denied any resentment among the Darfur IDP’s of Tel Aviv office saying that they are happy to see a country like Israel opening its doors to ease the suffering of Darfur people.

Abu-Sharati also said the decision of the opening an office in Israel was a collective decision approved by the leadership of the SLM before the announcement.

Abu-Sharati told Sudan Tribune that after five years of atrocities and suffering caused by “the so called brothers in Islam we understood where the hatred can lead.” He further said they are support the “pacific coexistence between the peoples, Muslim or others”.

“So we decided to combat hatred and build relations with this world of Christian and Jewish who rescued and support us by bringing food and shelter for our sons stranded aboard.” Abu- Sharati said.

He further lashed out at the Sudanese government and those who demonstrated to condemn the Tel Aviv office.

“The Sudanese army and the Janjaweed militias destroyed more than 7,000 mosques, burnt three millions copies of the Koran, killed more than 10,000 religious clerks and caused destruction to 20,000 religious schools;” Abu- Sharati alleged.

“Why did all these people not demonstrate against the killings and the rape of Darfur people? What is more important, these atrocities or the opening of an office in Israel?” he asked.

He added “the Israeli Embassy is at 500 meters from the venue of the Arab League in the Egyptian capital Cairo. Why did they not protest against the normalization of relations between Egypt and Israel?”

The displaced and refugees spokesperson said that Darfur people are sticking to their religion and that relations with Israel have no link with the religion.

“Our Islamic beliefs would not be affected by relations with Israel as it is the case for the Egyptians, the Mauritanians, the Qataris or the Jordanians for that matter” he said.

Abu-Sharati was alluding to Arab countries that have established diplomatic ties with Israel.

He said they support the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state and in the framework of two states living peacefully but that this does not prevent them from dealing with Israel.

Abu Sharati urged the Khartoum to stop the attacks against the civilians in Darfur, disarm the militia and to cooperate with the international community to facilitate the deployment of the international peacekeeping troops.

Abdel Wahid Al-Nur told Sudan Tribune last Tuesday that the opening of the “office was created by some of the SLM members who sought refuge in Israel from the killings by the Sudanese government.” He further praised Israel for “protecting Darfur youth from genocide”.

Sudan, which considers Israel as enemy state, has no diplomatic relations with el Aviv and remains hostile to the Jewish state on the grounds that it is occupying Arab lands.

(ST)