JEM leader lashes out at state aid groups, Sudan president

March 16, 2009 (PARIS) — The leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) lashed out at the Sudanese President’s call to expel aid worker by the end of the year and urged the Qatari Government not to receive him saying such a move would spoil the peace efforts.

Khalil Ibrahim, speaking by phone from an undisclosed location in Darfur, was reacting to statements by President Omer Al-Bashir early today where he said all foreign groups must leave Darfur within a year, stressing that the international community can deliver humanitarian assistance at airports or seaports, to be distributed by local groups.

Bashir, who made public this decision during a rally of regular forces from the army, police as well as security forces, also disclosed he had directed a ‘Sudanization’ of the relief operations in the country.

The JEM leader condemned Bashir’s decision saying the people of Darfur would not accept to be fed by the so-called local organizations which are in fact government organizations infiltrated by security elements. He further stressed that there are no independent charity groups in the Sudan.

“How can the killers of these people become their feeders? Darfur people will certainly not accept any relief from Bashir’s security apparatus and will reject them.”

Ibrahim also urged the international community to impose a No-Fly Zone in Darfur saying his group would help the aid groups to operate from western Sudan.

In the gathering attended today by the Chairman of the Joint Staff Gen. Mohamed Abdel-Gadir, Director General of the National Security and Intelligence Service Gen. Salah Abdellah Gosh and Director General of Police Forces Gen. Mohamed Nageeb Al-Tayeb, the regular forces pledged to defend the embattled President to the death.

The Sudanese authorities have orchestrated a series of protests throughout the country to support President Bashir after the issuance of an arrest warrant on March 4 by the International Criminal Court over charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Also, the defiant Bashir is expected to attend an Arab summit to be held within two weeks in Qatar, a country that is sponsoring a peace initiative to end the six year armed conflict in Darfur. JEM and the Sudan government have signed a goodwill agreement to hold peace talks under Qatari sponsorship.

Khalil Ibrahim appealed to the Qatari government to cooperate with the ICC and to not receive the Sudanese President. He further pointed out that Doha would spoil the peace process if it receives him.

He also said such a parade of the armed forces would not protect him because these officers and soldiers do not believe in him and do not want to die for him but as members of regular forces have to enforce military orders and demonstrate.

He further called on Bashir to go to The Hague court if he believes he is innocent and if he is a man of honor. Otherwise, “Bashir has to stage a war against the international community, and I do believe that there is no single Sudanese who is ready to wage an international war to defend him,” he emphasized.

JEM last week denounced the expulsion of 13 foreign aid groups from Darfur and urged their return. The rebel movement underlined that the Sudanese government move is a clear breach of the Doha goodwill agreement which committed the government to not hindering the humanitarian assistance to the IDPs.

Sudan accused the ejected NGOs of collaboration with the ICC on investigating crimes committed in Darfur.

(ST)