JEM rebuts UN report on military bases in South Sudan
April 4, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The justice and Equality Movement (JEM) denied allegations by a group of UN experts about the presence of its fighters in South Sudan terming it as “simply false”.
A UN panel of independent experts established since 2005 to monitor the arms embargo said in a report released on 12 February that JEM has different military camps in South Sudan and cited a camp near Bentiu.
“It appears that, in 2012, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) operated a large base for around 800 armed fighters inside South Sudan at a location near Bentiu, Unity State”, the experts said and cited other base in Western Bahr el-Ghazal State.
“It appears that…”. “is simply not good enough for a Report of this magnitude and the term “appears” is not sufficiently definitive to elevate the claim to a fact status”, said JEM challenging the veracity of their report.
JEM spokesperson, Gibreel Adam Bilal, further said that the experts should have visited the site and establish the presence of JEM on first hand terms.
The Sudanese government at the time, advertised the report saying it “represents a testimony of an international body that cannot be accused of being biased to Sudan”.
However JEM rebels said that four American and European of the five experts are of Arab origin and suspected them of favouring Khartoum. The panel is chaired by the Argentinean diplomat María Cristina Perceval.
Gibreel also casted doubt on the neutrality of their sources saying the main source of their report was a splinter commander called Mohamed Bahar.
Bahar broke away from the group when it decided to not sign the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) while he, the head of the negotiating team, had another opinion.
Khartoum and Juba agreed recently to form a committee to deal with allegations of support to rebel groups from both sides.
Sudanese defence minister Abdel Rahim Hussein announced on Thursday that the meeting will take place in Addis Ababa on 15 April to discuss the formation of this mechanism, as the two parties concluded talks on the crossing points that will be established on the border.
On the other hand the mediation prepare to launch political talks between the Sudanese government and the SPLM-N but before the two parties have to sign a humanitarian agreement and a cessation of hostility deal.
(ST)