New rebel group set up in Sudan’s Kordofan region
KHARTOUM, Oct 21, 2004 (Al-Sahafah) — A new rebel group, using Western Kordofan State in central Sudan as a springboard for its operations, has said it launched attacks on the government positions in the region, and that its supporters are distributing leaflets in several towns in Kordofan asking residents to back their armed revolution against the government.
The group, which calls itself “Al-Shahamah (nobility) Movement”, is led by a Kordofan native.
The movement seeks fair development opportunities for the region, a review of the power and wealth sharing agreement signed between the government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), and the revision of the agreement on administrative arrangements for the Nuba Mountains and the Southern Blue Nile regions.
At the same time, the movement rejects the plan to scrap the Western Kordofan State and merge its parts into the two states of Southern and Northern Kordofan.
Emirates newspaper Al-Khaleej reported that Al-Shahamah is led by a Kordofan native called Mussa Ali Muhammadein from the Masiriyyah tribe who used to be one of the leaders of the “The Popular Defence Forces” [Paramilitary units organized by the government in 1989] in the region and governor of Al-Rashad province in Southern Kordofan State.
However, he was sacked from his position after he decided to remain loyal to Hassan al-Turabi following the well-known disagreement between the Islamists and government and Turabi’s removal from power.
Residents from Al-Fulah and Babanusah in Western Kordofan State said Al-Shahamah members started recently to distribute pamphlets to the population urging them to defend their rights and back them in their opposition to the government.
Al-Shahamah started its rebellion by launching major attacks on areas in Western Kordofan State, including major hamlets such as Ghubaysh, Al-Majrur, Al-Zaraynaj and Umm-Jak.
Former Governor of Western Kordofan State Maj-Gen Al-Tayyib Abd al-Rahman Mukhtar said Al-Shahamah is part of the Darfur rebel group Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), explaining that its leader Muhammadayn had managed to persuade the Darfur rebels leadership to back him up by shifting the conflict to Kordofan and launching attacks on towns in the states.
Mukhtar, who was recently relieved from his post as state governor, said he had sent a message last month to Al-Shahamah leader asking him to refrain from starting a new rebellion in the region. However, the latter ignored the message.
He told Al-Khalij that since that time Muhammadayn has been planning to shift his rebellion from Darfur to Kordofan.
Mukhtar further said the emergence of Al-Shahamah was linked to the Naivasha protocol agreements which included a clause on the scraping of Western Kordofan State by annexing it to the two states of Northern and Southern Kordofan.
Material from the BBC Monitoring Service