JEM defectors say mediation efforts failed to contain Darfur group’s divisions

June 11, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Dissident officers from the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Sunday said the mediation committee formed to contain the differences within the Movement has failed to reconcile between the two sides.

Last March, thirteen JEM officers announced their defection from the historical JEM led by Gibril Ibrahim and joined the splinter faction New Justice and Equality Movement (New JEM) led by Mansour Arbab Younis.

The list of names of dissidents includes Tigani al-Dhaib, Major General Mohammed Ishaq Adam, Brig. Abdel-Rahman, Col. Al-Sadiq Hamdan, Col. Ibrahim Toga, Col.

Daffaallah Mohamed Ahmed, Lt. Col. Adam Gumaa, Lieu. Col. Yahia Stu, Major Arbab Abdalla, Major Idriss Ali Gumaa, Major Osman Shofo and Major Abdallah Yahia.

In a statement released Sunday, spokesperson for the dissident group Col. Daffaallah Mohamed Ahmed said a joint committee from the defectors and the JEM held more than five lengthy meetings in an effort to find comprehensive solutions to the differences.

The statement, seen by Sudan Tribune, said “it became clear after the deliberations that the JEM side doesn’t have the full mandate to find solutions and make decisions that contribute to resolving the problems”.

“We underline our firm position to remove Dr Gibril Ibrahim from the leadership of the Movement [JEM],” read the statement.

“All officers, non-commissioned officers and foot soldiers decided to assign Brig. Gen. Abdel-Rahman Arbab, along with a number of officers, to lead and manage the forces during the next stage,” it added.

The dissident officers accused Ibrahim of failing to arrive at the battlefield to contribute to finding solutions to the Movement’s problems, saying he also refused to resign or call for an extraordinary conference to resolve all problems that he and his aides created within the Movement.

They urged members of JEM’s executive office to support their position, calling on all comrades who have left the Movement and founded their own revolutionary movements “to come together again to bring the Movement and the revolution back on track”.

It is noteworthy that a group led by Arbab and Houzaiffa Mahi-Eldin Mohamed in May 2015 issued a communiqué dismissing Ibrahim from the chairmanship of the JEM. They accused him of running the rebel group in a despotic manner; besides nepotism and tribalism.

They later formed the New JEM and participated in the government-led national dialogue conference in Khartoum before to denounce the bad treatment received in Khartoum and leave the country.

(ST)