Darfur rebel figure slams JEM leadership, establishes new group

November 10, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — Adam Ali Shoggar, a former leading member in the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) announced yesterday the establishment of a new group in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

Shoggar, JEM former secretary for political affairs, had been relieved from his position last August following divergences with the leadership of the rebel group. Khalil Ibrahim JEM chairman, at the time, directed the “judicial authorities” in the movement to open “a criminal case” and to prosecute him.

In a press conference held in Addis Ababa on Tuesday 9 November, he announced the establishment of Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) General Command. He said his group has a comprehensive program to achieve peace and to ensure the return of IDPs and refugees.

He further said the “lack of institutions within the rebel group and its leadership’s insistence on the war prompted us to take this position because we call for peace and reconciliation, stability and construction.

The leader of the SLM- General Command joined JEM for the first time on 17 March 2009. Before to join JEM the former member of the SLM-Minnawi had been member of a group called United Resistance Front (URF) after talks in Juba sponsored by the former U.N. AU mediators.

Criticizing JEM functioning and structures, he said the rebel group is administrated by three executive offices but the decisions are taken in an office led by foreign affairs secretary Gibriel Ibrahim the brother of JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim.

In addition, Shoggar said one of the three executive offices is under the control of the Popular Congress Party of Hassan Al-Turabi. He went further to accuse his former group of assassinating the members of Meidob tribe who were part of the rebel group.

He said his group wants a comprehensive peace deal, adding they have contacts with other groups to reunite their efforts together before to engage talks with the government stressing they want the return of displaced people to their original villages.

Divisions among the rebel groups in Darfur are perceived as one of the major causes complicating a lasting resolution of the seven year conflict in Darfur.

UN agencies estimate more than 2.5 million people have been displaced, and more than 300,000 killed in the conflict in Darfur since 2003. The Sudanese government says no more than 10,000 people have died.

(ST)