Darfur rebel chief regrets remarks by Libyan leader

February 24, 2009 (PARIS) — A Darfur rebel leader today expressed “regret” over statements made by Libyan president Mu’ammar Qadhafi today in which he accused Israel of standing behind the conflict in the Western region of Darfur.

“It will be no surprise to anyone when we say that we have found unequivocal proof that the Darfur crisis was fomented by foreign powers” Qadhafi said in a speech to an African conference organized by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

“Key rebel leaders have opened offices in Tel Aviv and meet frequently with the [Israeli] army….If Tel Aviv among others is behind the events in Darfur, why then call Bashir or the Sudanese government to account” he said.

Qadhafi was referring to an imminent decision by the judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on a case against Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir in connection with Darfur war crimes.

Abdel-Wahid Al-Nur chairman of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) who is residing in France urged Qadhafi’s “to refrain from indulging in sideline battles”.

“Brother Qadhafi should focus on the challenges confronting the African continent and Darfur in particular in his capacity as African Union chairman” Al-Nur told Sudan Tribune.

“Peace in Darfur can be attained through halting the killings of civilians, rape of women, disarming militias, return of IDP’s to their villages after ejecting the new settlers” he said.

“This is the way forward to put an end to the crisis in Darfur. If he [Qadhafi] can secure these conditions he can then blame us for refusing to sit at the negotiating table” the rebel chief added.

Al-Nur had maintained a long standing position on refusing to attend any peace talks without achieving security on the ground frustrating the efforts of world diplomats.

He boycotted one of the peace rounds held in Sirte, Libya along with Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) throwing the talks to collapse.

“We have seen a handful of signing ceremonies over the last six years which did not solve any of the outstanding issues. The Darfuris have certain demands and we must see that they see the lights. Otherwise all these signed agreements only cause dismay among them”.

Commenting on Israel involvement in the Darfur conflict Al-Nur said that he had offices in Libya and made visits to refugees living there “but that did not fuel the conflict and no one said that Libya was provoking the war or that we are agents of Tripoli”.

Al-Nur acknowledged last week that he “visited Israel recently in a move to boost social normalization between the Sudanese and Israeli peoples, pledging for strategic relations between the two countries”.

According to the UNHCR figures, there are some 600 Darfuri in Israel whom local authorities have granted all asylum and work permits.

The Israeli daily newspaper Haartez had said he paid the visit at his own initiative with some French Jewish, to attend a security conference there. The report also said he met with a senior Israeli security official.

Khartoum have said Al-Nur’s visit is proof of Israeli involvement in the six years conflict that killed 300,000 people and displaced 2.7 million after ethnic minority rebels in Darfur rose up against the Arab-dominated Khartoum government in February 2003. Sudan puts the death toll at 10,000.

(ST)