Darfur rebels say bombing led to cancel AUDP meeting

June 25, 2009 (LONDON) — The rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said today it had been forced to cancel a meeting with the African Union Panel on Darfur (AUPD) due of the continued air attacks carried by the government warplanes in western Sudan.

Over the past 10 days, the AUPD has listened to Sudanese political parties, civil society representatives, rebel movements, Arab nomads, native administrators, tribal leaders, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women, youth, and others in Khartoum and across Darfur, as part of its third such session.

Ahmed Husein Adam, the official spokesperson of the rebel movement said JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim had been forced to cancel his meeting on Wednesday with Mbeki panel due to the continual bombardment by the Sudanese warplane in the area of the meeting.

He condemned the air strikes saying it meant to prevent the meeting.

The Sudanese authorities were informed by the panel members about the time and the area of the meeting. The peacekeeping mission was supposed to provide the logistical means to transport the delegation.

Ahmed said they have many reservations on the mandate of the panel, adding they do not support the AUPD but this would not prevent them from meeting the former South Africa President Mbeki.

The rebel official, who just returned from Doha where he was taking part in a two month negotiations with the government delegation, further said they have not yet been informed by the mediation about the release of 20 JEM members.

He however reiterated the commitment of his movement to free 60 prisoners of war (POWs) from the Sudanese army.

Djibril Bassolé told the Sudan Tribune on Tuesday that Khartoum had agreed to release 20 POWs from the 103 rebels sentenced to death by Sudanese exceptional courts after an attack on the capital in May 2008.

The Doha process is deadlocked after Khartoum refusal to release the POWs as it had been agreed in an agreement to build confidence between the two parties signed on February 17.

Ahmed also slammed reports published by pro-government media about a trip by JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim to Israel.

“This is a cheap propaganda based on lies and fabricated news by the security apparatus to mobilize the public against the movement,” he said.

“If Dr Khalil paid a visit to Israel we would not hide it, but this alleged trip is not accurate,” he added.

(ST)