Sudan’s JEM warns Chadian army against attacking its positions

April 24, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said Chadian troop are building up forces along the border, and warned N’djamena of intervening into the conflict in Darfur.

JEM spokesperson, Gibreel Adam Bilal, in a statement he extended to Sudan Tribune said that Chadian troops made an incursion into the border area of Tina on Wednesday backed by tanks and helicopters in coordination with the fighters of a former rebel faction of headed by Mohamed Bashar.

Late last week, JEM and JEM-Bashar have clashed in Jebel Derma area in North Darfur.

JEM-Bashar announced the killing of its deputy general commander Saleh Mohamed Jarbo on April 19 accusing JEM of his death.

Nahar Osman, the political adviser of JEM-Bashar earlier this week claimed that a coalition of Chadian opposition forces, Union of Forces of Resistance (UFR) fought alongside JEM in the recent clashes.

JEM accuses the Chadian president Idris Deby of instigating dissidence of JEM-Bashar and pushing them to negotiations with the Sudanese government, which culminated in the peace agreement signed on April 6 in Doha.

JEM spokesperson added that their fight is with the Sudanese government not the Chadian regime, warning that “any military help rendered to Sudan’s regime would fall short of achieving its goals. You will be helping a regime which commits crimes against humanity on a daily basis in Darfur”.

Bilal further asserted JEM’s ability “to defend areas under its control”, announcing their readiness “to respond to any foreign aggression on Sudanese territory in Darfur”.

Darfur holdout rebel groups recently intensified their operations in the region as the Sudanese government refuses to open the process to discuss a comprehensive solution to the different conflicts in the country, as they demand.

U.S. Chargé d’affaires in Khartoum, Joseph D. Stafford, said last Sunday that his government is consulting with Sudanese government and rebel groups to find a common ground for a peaceful settlement on the basis of Doha framework agreement.

(ST)