Darfur JEM say Taha’s remarks amounts to backtracking on peace
February 11, 2010 (WASHINGTON) –The Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) reacted with anger to remarks made by Sudanese 2nd Vice president Ali Osman Taha during his three-day visit to the Egyptian capital this week.
Taha has thrown the blame on the Popular Congress Party (PCP) chief Hassan Al-Turabi for the conflict that erupted in Darfur seven years ago saying he pushed his followers to bear arms against the government in the region.
However, Taha’s statements did not bode well with JEM which is currently engaged in peace process with Khartoum in Doha, Qatar.
“He [Taha] is basically telling the world that the people of Darfur do not have a just or political cause worthy enough for them to fight for so this means that the government no longer recognizes the existence of a problem in Darfur” JEM spokesperson Ahmed Hussein told Sudan Tribune by phone from Doha.
“So all what they [Khartoum] said in the past, during the Abuja talk and other venues about recognizing the roots of the Darfur conflict was lips service?” he posed the question.
Hussein described Taha’s statements as an “unacceptable insult” to the Darfuri people.
“If you read between the lines, this statement contains a racist coating to it. Taha is suggesting that the people of Darfur are incapable of leading themselves so they someone from the center to do that whether it be Turabi or someone else” he said.
“Both Turabi and Taha are responsible for the miserable situation our country is in right now. If they are trying to get back at each other over their differences then they should do that without involving the people of Darfur in it” the JEM official added.
Al-Turabi was a former ally of Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir and at the time considered the government’s ideological mastermind in the 1990s and the De-facto ruler.
However in 1999 Al-Turabi who was then parliament speaker fell out with Bashir and was jailed on accusations of conspiracy. He was released in October 2003.
Taha was considered one of the closest “disciples” of Turabi but later helped rally the Islamist movement to strip him from his powers and hegemony over the government. Turabi has reportedly said privately that he would pardon Bashir and not Taha should he ever regain back his power.
The JEM spokesperson said that Taha is still frustrated over his apparent loss of hope in becoming president.
“His dreams in assuming the presidency vanished with the dear of Dr. Garang. This is a power struggle within the regime that made him sidelined. He does not realize the damaging impact of such irresponsible statements at a time a government delegation is in Doha” he said.
Since rebels took up arms in early 2003, the United Nations estimates 300,000 people have died and more than 2 million have been driven from their homes after a counter-insurgency campaign by Khartoum.
(ST)