Sudanese army denies presence of JEM leader in Darfur

October 30, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) on Saturday said that the leader of the Justice and Equality Movement, Khalil Ibrahim, is not inside the country after his departure from Tripoli.

Khalil who was in Libya since May 2010, left the troubled country after the fall of Gaddafi’s regime and returned to Darfur through the neighboring Chad last September after leaving Tripoli through Niger.

Different reports said Chadian soldiers members of the joint border force formed by the Sudanese and Chadian armies, joined Khalil Ibrahim after refusing to fight his convoy near the border.

Al-Sawarmi Khaled, SAF spokesperson, stated that there is no evidence to the entry of Khalil Ibrahim to Darfur or his presence in any part of the Sudan. He further contested the accuracy of reports about his presence in Darfur and described as “rumors” JEM rebels circulate to polish their image.

The military spokesperson was reacting to a recent report by the Geneva based Sudan Human Security Baseline Assessment which said in a recent report that the rebel JEM fighters are currently based in Wadi Hawar in North Darfur nearby the border with Chad.

North Darfur Governor Osman Kibir was the first to speak on 15 September about the presence of the rebel leader in the his state. He told the media that Khalil is based in Wadi Hawar.

The Sudanese army spokesperson went to reaffirm that JEM leader “Khalil (Ibrahim) and his followers did not set foot in Chad or Darfur.” He added that the joint patrol units are set to end cross-border attacks by rebel groups from both sides.

Khalil’s return to Darfur strained bilateral relations between Chad and Sudan and forced the Chadian President to explain, through a special envoy dispatched to Khartoum, that JEM leader crossed Chad despite his opposition with the support of some Zagawah elements in his army.

Analysts say that Khartoum believes now Deby has no capacity to stop his tribe members and relatives from supporting Khalil who belongs to the same ethnic group.

However, it seems that Bashir does not intend to support Chadian rebels as it was the case in the past, but supporting President Idris Deby in his power struggle against his tribe members favorable to Sudanese rebel leader as they are already weakened and not influential, as was the case.

(ST)