Sudan calls on international community to condemn Bashar’s killing
May 13, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s foreign ministry called on the international community to condemn the killing of former Darfur rebel Mohamed Bashar, while his group urged international pressure to release its members captured by the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) on Sunday.
The foreign ministry called on the international community to condemn “this heinous crime which targeted peace in Darfur”, urging regional and international organisations including the African Union and the UN Security Council to designate the rebel group as a “terrorist” movement threatening international peace and security.
In a statement released on Monday the ministry further said that the “assassination” incident reveals “the evil intentions” of the rebel group, which is not only rejecting all peace efforts, but also “insisting on war and assassination as means to fulfil their political ambitions”.
The former rebel leader Mohamed Bashar and his deputy Suleiman Arko Dahiya were killed on the Chadian side or Darfur’s border with Chad on Sunday.
The area is normally monitored by a joint Chadian Sudanese force but JEM rebel fighters successfully stormed Bashar’s convoy and captured other leading members who were accompanying him.
Nahar called on the international community and human rights groups to pressure JEM to free them stressing they hold JEM leader Gibril Ibrahim responsible for their safety.
On the other hand, the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) of Tijani Al-Sissi condemned in the strongest terms the murder of Mohamed Bashar describing it as “barbaric behaviour”.
The former rebel group that signed the DDPD in July 2011, also announced on Monday its solidarity with Bashar’s group and reiterated that peace is the only option to end the 10-year conflict in Darfur.
(ST)