Darfur rebels release 60 government troops
May 28, 2009 (DOHA) — The rebel Justice and Equality Movement announced today form Doha where it holds talks with a government delegation the release of 60 prisoners of war from the Sudanese army.
“We decided unilaterally to release 60 Sudanese army troops,” Ahmed Hussein Adam the official spokesperson of the rebel group told Sudan Tribune; adding they are finalizing the necessary procedures with the Red Cross.
Last February following the signing of a goodwill agreement, JEM said it will unilaterally release 21 POW’s from the Sudanese army. Reciprocally, the Sudanese government released the same number of JEM fighters.
However, two parties didn’t involve the mediation or a humanitarian body like the Red Cross in the exchange of POWs.
According to the Agreement of Good Will and Confidence Building for the Settlement of the Darfur Problem, the parties agreed to free the POWs. The mediation has to “workout a time-line for concluding the release of the above mentioned.”
Last February, JEM said the issue of prisoners of war was crucial and insisted to include it in the confidence building agreement. Khartoum had refuse in a first time to consider the rebel request.
Ahmed Hussein Adam said they asked the mediation today to deal carefully with the issue of prisoner of war. “We asked them to specify the name, military rank and other details in this regard.”
He also said they want the mediation to bring John Holmes, the U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs to brief them about the humanitarian situation, adding the situation is worsening since the expulsion of the 13 international aid groups from Darfur.
Last March Sudanese authorities ousted the main aid groups from the country accusing them of cooperating with the International Criminal Court against the government.
JEM, as result of this decision, had suspended its participation in the Doha process accusing Khartoum of breaching the goodwill agreement which provides to not obstruct the humanitarian operations in Darfur.
(ST)