Chad President, Darfur groups discuss ways to stop war in Sudan, protect civilians

July 12, 2023 (N’DJAMENA) – In meetings with Darfur armed groups to discuss the situation in Darfur and the flow of refugees in his country, President Mahamat Idriss Deby of Chad called to protect civilians and to exert efforts to halt the war in the troubled Sudan.

Over the past three days, leaders of the movements that signed the Juba Peace Agreement convened in N’Djamena at President Deby’s invitation. The delegation of Darfur leaders includes al-Hadi Idris, leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement Transitional Council (SLM-TC), Minni Minnawi of the SLM-MM, Tahir Hajar of the Gathering o Sudan Liberation Forces and Gibril Ibrahim of the Justice and Equality Movement.

In a statement to Sudan Tribune from N’Djamena, al-Hadi Idris revealed that President Deby stressed the urgency of concerted efforts to end the war in Sudan, with particular emphasis on Darfur. He also drew attention to the more than 200,000 Sudanese displaced to Chad due to the conflict in West Darfur alone.

“He expressed concern that if the war engulfed the whole of Darfur, Chad’s limited resources would be overwhelmed,” he stressed.

In the past week alone, approximately 20,000 Sudanese refugees have sought shelter in Adré, a small town in Chad situated near the border, according to the WFP. Since the commencement of the conflict in April 2023, the number of refugees from Sudan entering Chad has surpassed 230,000, with an additional 38,000 individuals from Chad returning who returned to their country.

Idris further highlighted that their presence in N’Djamena afforded them the opportunity to discuss the joint force they formed to protect civilians and the expansion of its deployment beyond El Fasher. He added they reached a consensus on the need for coordination and joint action to engage with the conflict to cease hostilities.

“We have agreed on the unity of Darfur movements and a serious approach to prevent this conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from escalating into tribal violence,” Idris stressed.

The meetings also explored the possibility of utilizing Chadian airports as alternative entry points for delivering humanitarian aid to the region, as the current route through Port Sudan in the east of Sudan requires the deployment of necessary troops to escort it and takes more time.

However, he added that the decision on this matter ultimately depends on the United Nations and donors, who bear the transportation costs for aid delivery.

Hadi Idris arrived Wednesday evening in the Ethiopian capital, joining a Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) delegation. The pro-democracy forces in Sudan are touring the region to mobilise regional and international efforts to end the conflict in Sudan.

It should be noted that the joint force escorts trucks transporting humanitarian assistance from Port Sudan to various locations in Darfur. They are also responsible for protecting markets and providing security for regional commercial and medical convoys.

The peace groups say they do not receive any support from the central authorities to cover the financial costs of these operations.

Meeting with Daglo

In a related development, Idris denied rumours that they held a meeting in N’Djamena with the RSF second commander, Abdel-Rahim Dagalo, stating that such a meeting was unnecessary in Chad, pointing out they could meet him inside Sudan.

In a separate statement, JEM leader Gibril Ibrahim also refuted claims of meeting with the RSF second commander in N’Djamena.

Press reports had speculated that Dagalo met with movement leaders to persuade them to align with the paramilitary against the Sudanese army.

However, two RSF officials dismissed these reports, clarifying that the commander had not left Khartoum and that the claims were false.

(ST)