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Darfur Group āDisappointedā With Chad

   Peter Clottey 19 May 2010

Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS

   Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, in full military dress, greets army
   officers  as  as  he visits the military hospital, in Khartoum, Sudan,
   Thursday  April  22,  2010.  The  White  House had said Sudan's recent
   elections  are  an  essential step in the country's peace efforts even
   though they did not meet international standards. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)

   The  Darfur-based Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said its leader,
   Khalil  Ibrahim,  was  prevented  from  entering  Chad  and kept on an
   airplane for at least 12 hours before Libya came to his rescue.

   Ahmed   Hussein   Adam,   JEMās  spokesman,  told  VOA  the  group  is
   disappointed with the way their leader was treated.

   The  United  Nations  and  African  Union  (UN/AU)  chief  mediator is
   mandated  to  facilitate  the  return  of  the  JEM leader to Sudan as
   stipulated  in  a  recent  peace  accord  signed between the group and
   President Omar Hassan Al-Bashirās government.

   āDr.  Khalil  consulted  with  the  leadership  of  JEM and finally he
   accepted  the  offer  of  the Libyans on the condition that from there
   (Tripoli)  he  will  go to Darfur and he will go to Sudan. That action
   did  not  remove  the  responsibility  of  Djibril  Bassole, the chief
   mediator.  Because,  still  now,  we want Djibril Bassole to take that
   responsibility  and  to facilitate the arrival or the departure of Dr.
   Khalil from Tripoli to Darfur,ā he said.

   Officials  in  Chad  stopped JEMās leader in the capital, Ndjamena and
   prevented  him from using the airport as a transit point on his return
   trip to Sudan.

   The Darfur-based rebel group said Chadian authorities destroyed travel
   documents  belonging  to its leader, as well as that of his entourage,
   and ordered him to return to Libyaās capital, Tripoli.

   A Darfur rebel

   Previously,  Chad and Sudan accused each other of supporting the other
   sideās armed groups.

   But,  President  Bashirās  government  praised Chadās refusal to allow
   JEMās leader of using its country as a transit point.

   In  a  statement,  Khartoum  said  President  Idriss Deby demonstrated
   commitment  towards  a  recently-signed agreement between Khartoum and
   Ndjamena after years of accusations and suspicions.

   Earlier  this  year,  both  countries pledged to deny support for each
   otherās  rebels and to monitor their borders - - a move hailed by many
   analysts as a boost for peace prospects in Darfur.

   But,  JEM spokesman Adam said Chadian officials acted reprehensibly to
   please  Sudanās  government.  He  described  the airport incident as a
   scheme.

   āThe  whole  thing  is  a conspiracy because actually the Qataris, Mr.
   Bassole  the mediator, as well as the Chadians, they want to liquidate
   the cause of Darfur,ā Adam said.

   The  Justice  and  Equality  Movement recently abandoned further peace
   talks  with  President  Bashirās government after accusing Khartoum of
   attacking its positions.

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