Darfur rebels denounce “destructive approach” of US envoy
November 18, 2009 (PARIS) — The Paris based Darfur rebel leader Abdel Wahid Al-Nur reaffirmed that he has no negative position towards the American administration but denounced the “destructive approach” adopted by its special envoy.
Barack Obama’s special envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, is currently in Khartoum from where he plans to visit “El Fasher and Jebel Marra in Darfur to continue to support Darfuri armed movement unification and the Darfur peace process,” the state Department said earlier this week.
After a series of contacts with Darfur main rebel groups after his appointment in March 2009, Gration’s relations gradually deteriorated with Al-Nur and Khalil Ibrahim the leader of the Justice and Equality Movement who described him as Sudan’s foreign minister.
Both the balm him of putting pressures on them turning blind eye to Khartoum policies in Darfur particularly in the areas of the humanitarian and security situations. Since the summer of 2009, Gration associated himself to ongoing efforts to reunite Darfur rebel factions as Libya and Egypt. However, the special envoy is accused of seeking to encourage dissidence from the SLM-AW in order to replace its leader.
“We have no problem or negative position from the administration of President Obama and we consider that we have identical view on the need to stop the genocide in Darfur and after that to engage peace talks,” Al-Nur said today.
Al Nur went further to add “if problem exists it is in the handling and the destructive approach adopted by Mr Gration who is investing his efforts and time to deform this policy.”
The SLM founder said Gration is working to dismantle his movement and creating new splinter entities. He added such plans will not destabilize his leadership but only would delay efforts to reunite the group and to reach a lasting and equitable solution for the six year conflict.
Al-Nur, who asks to disarm government militias and protection of Darfur displaced before talks, held recently a series of meetings with joint mediator for peace in Darfur.
Last week the UNAMID said fighters of SLA-AW held a UN plane briefly after mistakenly believing it belonged to US special envoy Scott Gration. The SLA-Nur were bracing for a meeting Gration organized with defecting commanders in areas the rebels loyal to Al-Nur say under their control.
(ST)