Sudan accuses former Darfur rebels of fomenting new rebellion

July 20, 2017 (NYALA) – The military intelligence in South Darfur state this week have arrested 10 commanders of a former rebel group accused of inciting their combatants to rebel against the government.

The military intelligence company of the 16th Infantry Division of the Sudanese Army arrested several commanders of the Justice and Equality Movement – Comprehensive Peace (JEM-CP), a photographer and a computer technician and accused them of participation in an attempt to form a rebel group.

Sources told Sudan Tribune that the accused would appear before a military court next week.

The two main groups in Darfur region: Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and JEM split to small factions many of which signed a peace agreement with the government. However, many of them remained divided and weigh their relations with Khartoum according to its positions towards their rivals.

Recently the JEM-Dabajo protested over its representation in the new national dialogue government saying over groups with less military strength got more portfolios in the national and regional governments and threatened to suspend its participation in the government.

Reached by Sudan Tribune, Issa Dodah Hasabo a JEM-CP Executive Bureau member confirmed the arrest of their commanders including Siam Burah Gibril suspected of inciting their fighters who are deployed in different areas to rebel.

Hasabo said JEM-CP signed a peace agreement with Khartoum in 2011 after breaking away from a JEM faction led by Adam Abdel Rahim Abu Rishah which had joined the Darfur Peace Agreement in 2006.

However, he dismissed the charges against his comrades pointing that some officials of the group toured the last June all the areas where are deployed the fighters of the group to brief them on the implementation of the security arrangements before the end of 2017.

Hasabo further said that the local authorities had been advised of the move, adding they issued identification cards in preparation for the enforcement of the security arrangements.

The peace agreements signed with the rebel factions generally provide to integrate the former rebel combatants in the regular forces or other administration and services. But the government delayed its implementation due to the lack of financial resources.

(ST)