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Sudan Rebel Group Denies Role in Anti-Protest Violence in Libya

   Peter Clottey  February 23, 2011
   Libyan  protesters  hold signs and shout slogans against Libyan Leader
   Moammar Gadhafi during a demonstration, in Tobruk, February 23, 2011

Photo: AP

   Libyan  protesters  hold signs and shout slogans against Libyan Leader
   Moammar Gadhafi during a demonstration, in Tobruk, February 23, 2011

   The spokesman for the Darfur-based Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)
   has  denied  accusations  that  members  of  his  group  are acting as
   mercenaries   for   Libyan   leader   Moammar   Gadhafi   to  suppress
   anti-government protesters.

   Ahmed  Hussein  Adam  described  the  accusation  as  malicious  and a
   calculated attempt by the Khartoum government to, in his words, create
   anger  among Libyan anti-government protesters to attack and eliminate
   âDarfurisâ in Libya.

   âItâs  not  surprising to me that the Sudan Foreign Ministry is making
   these  allegations  because  the  head  of  that ministry is a militia
   leader.  JEM  absolutely  has no single military element in Libya. The
   violence is something internal in Libya and JEM has nothing to do with
   it.  All  of  our  forces  and  our  comrades are inside this country,
   Sudan,â said Adam.

   A  2009  file  photo  of  Sudanese rebel Justice and Equality Movement
   (JEM)  leader  Khalil  Ibrahim  during a Darfur peace meeting in Doha,
   Qatar

AFP

   A  2009  file  photo  of  Sudanese rebel Justice and Equality Movement
   (JEM)  leader  Khalil  Ibrahim  during a Darfur peace meeting in Doha,
   Qatar. He is currently living in Libya's capital, Tripoli.

   âThis  accusation is baseless and this is the regime in Khartoum which
   is   irresponsible  because  it  is  a  racist  regime  and  they  are
   jeopardizing  the  lives of more than 2 million Sudanese, the majority
   of them Darfuris, in Libya. This is unacceptable.â

   Adam  also called on the international community to, in his words, put
   pressure  on  President Omar Hassan al-Bashirâs government to stop the
   baseless accusation against Sudanese that will put many peopleâs lives
   in danger in Libya.

   Khalid Musa, spokesman for Sudanâs Foreign Ministry accused JEM rebels
   of  being  involved  in the Libyan violence. He also said his ministry
   has proof that Darfur rebels are involved.

   But,  Adam  said  the  accusation is a disguised racial attack against
   non-Arab Sudanese.

   âJEM  has  a  noble cause actually and it is not for doing a dirty job
   for  the  Libyan  leader.  This  is  absolutely  not true at all and I
   challenge   them  to  provide  a  single  evidence.  Even  the  Libyan
   opposition  didnât  claim that but, because this is a genocidal regime
   in  Khartoum,  that is why they are claiming that we (are) involved in
   this Libyan violence,â said Adam.

   âToday,  all  the Sudanese on the Internet are condemning this kind of
   allegation by the regime in Khartoum and they are actually holding the
   regime  (responsible)  for  this. Through VOA, I want to say, whatever
   bad  happens  to Sudanese in Libya, the regime in Khartoum is going to
   be responsible for that.â

   Some  analysts  have  accused  Gadhafi  of  financially supporting the
   Darfur-based  rebel  group,  which  has  been  battling  the  Sudanese
   national army.

   Meanwhile,  JEMâs  leader  Khalil Ibrahim is reportedly still in Libya
   after  he  was barred from entering Chad while attempting to return to
   Sudan from Libya.

   âIf  Dr.  Khalil  is  there,  he  is  there not on his own willingness
   because  he  is supposed to be in Darfur, but because they stopped him
   in  Chad  and  that  is why he is in Tripoli; and he is there actually
   with the knowledge of all the international community,â said Adam.

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