Khartoum calls for international condemnation of rebel attacks on UN missions

July 31, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s government has drawn a scathing criticism for the international community, accusing it of failing to condemn the repeated attacks carried by rebels against the joint UN-AU Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), and demanded it to take firm positions against these groups.

Last Saturday, the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) announced that it seized fuel tankers on Dilling- Dibibad road in South Kordofan after attacking the military convoy escorting it. It turned out later that the fuel which was on its way to Abyei through Kadugli belongs to UNISFA.

Sudan’s foreign ministry in statement issued on Wednesday said that JEM “declared its responsibility for this crime and boasted seizing UNISFA’s fuel”, but so far there has been no little reaction from the concerned international and regional organizations.

“This silence represents a kind of recognition for these criminal practices and encourages its continuation” said the statement, pointing that “officials in international and regional organizations often accuse Sudan of failing to provide protection for the two missions and impeding their actions”.

The foreign ministry went on to demand all governments as well as international and regional organizations to take firm and decisive positions against leaders of rebel groups who commit “such crimes against those who work for peace and stability in Darfur and South Kordofan”.

Earlier this month, the Sudanese government was sharply criticized by the international community following the death of seven Tanzanian peacekeepers in South Darfur. Sudan held the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) responsible for the deadly attack but the rebel group denied the accusation and blamed it on government militias.

The foreign ministry’s statement also pointed to the killing of the leader of JEM-Bashar, Mohammed Bashar and several leaders by the JEM mainstream forces near the Sudan -Chad border on May 12.

It said that the international community has not directly condemned perpetrators of both incidents, stressing that several super powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) continue to provide protection for the leaders of the rebel groups while accusing Sudan of not doing enough to facilitate the work of the UN missions.

The foreign ministry, on the other hand, welcomed the UNSC’s rejection for the rebel demand for a comprehensive peace process and its call for rebel groups in Sudan’s western region to end the violence and negotiate peace with the national government under the basis of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).

On Tuesday, the UNSC renewed the mandate of UNAMID and demanded that the UN chief prepare a review of UNAMID’s mandate by before 28 February 2014 in light of major changes and developments in the situation in Darfur since its establishment in January 2008.

The UNSC has opted to back the decision of the AU earlier this month which called on the international community to support the DDPD and to disregard calls by rebel groups for a comprehensive process leading to regime change.

(ST)