JEM rebels release 35 Sudanese army soldiers – Red Cross

June 9, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) today released 35 members of the Sudanese army, said the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The Red Cross facilitated the handover of prisoners of war to the Sudanese government from Nyala in South Darfur.

“Both JEM and the Sudanese authorities requested that the ICRC help with the transfer in our capacity as a neutral intermediary between the warring parties,” said Jordi Raich Curco, head of the ICRC’s delegation in Sudan.

Curco added that logistical arrangements were made to facilitate this handover.

The released prisoners included 34 soldiers from the Central Reserve and one from the Parachute Regiment of the Sudanese army, said JEM Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, Suleiman Jamous in a statement released today.

“26 of the POWS are injured and in dire need of medication,” he further stressed.

On Tuesday 8 June, Jamous told Sudan Tribune that the government didn’t provide the necessary support to facilitate the transfer of critically wounded prisoners of wars (POWs).

The POWs were captured during clashes with the government in Uzban Douma and Tawaisha in southern Darfur on June 3.

The ICRC was engaged in private interviews with all detainees before they were released. This is standard ICRC procedure to ensure that detainees are wishing to be returned to the other side; in this case, they were asked if they would like to be transferred to government-held areas.

Last month, the ICRC facilitated another transaction, when the JEM released 44 prisoners of war (POWs) to the Sudanese army.

The releases of detainees are a direct result of the Doha talks in which the JEM and the government agreed to release detainees and prisoners of wars (POWs).

(ST)