JEM and former rebels clash in North Darfur

April 20, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – North Darfur state witnessed fierce fighting between two groups of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) over the control of Furawiyya area last Friday, two weeks after the signing of a peace agreement in Doha with a faction bed by Mohamed Bashar.

JEM main stream led by Gibril Ibrahim and the former rebels issued statements confirming the clashes in the remote area of North Darfur where Bashar and his commanders announced their dissidence in a meeting held on 8 and 9 September 2012.

In a statement released on Saturday, Bashar’s group said their fighters were forced to clash with JEM rebels after they carried out attacks against Furawiyya residents.

The former rebels who signed a peace agreement with Khartoum on 6 April, further said they control Furawiyya and “still chasing” the assailants.

The split in JEM was initially organised by JEM former general commander, Bakheit Abdallah Abdel-Karim (Dabajo) who was opposed to Gibril’s leadership fashion.

He also remained in Darfur and didn’t take part in the reorganisation of JEM forces after the creation of Sudanese Revolutionary Front which set up a joint military command.

Before the dissidence JEM leader Gibril Ibrahim sacked Dabajo from his position after rumours accusing him and Mohamed Bashar of organising a military coup with the support of the Chadian president.

JEM spokesperson, Gibreel Adam Bilal, however said they cleared Jebel Darma and surrounding areas (Karnowi and Ambro) from Bashar fighters adding that they had become part of the “National Congress Party militias” after the signing of Doha agreement.

Bilal pointed out that that last week JEM-Basher fighters accompanied and guided a Sudanese Armed Forces to Jebel Darma in a bid to capture it from them.

“The group that escaped from the field and placed her hand with the Government of genocide has been completely disarmed and do not have any presence on the ground as of today”, the rebel spokesperson said.

JEM-Bashar is expected to send an advance delegation to Khartoum during the coming days.

Khartoum accepted in line with the peace agreement sealed with the group to integrate the former rebel commanders in the army after a special academic formation and military training.

The Sudanese army in the past had refused to accord this favour to Minnawi’s commanders, while his faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement was in coalition with the government between 2006 and 2010.

(ST)