February 18, 2012 (KHARTOUM) — The newly elected leader of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Gibril Ibrahim told a British special envoy to Sudan that Ibrahim Gambari is not qualified to be a mediator for peace in Darfur
Gibril Ibrahim is elected last month following the death of his brother and JEM founder Khalil Ibrahim in North Kordofan in December 2011. On Friday he held a telephone conversation with the United Kingdom’s Special Representative for Sudan, Michael Ryder, who discussed with him about the perspectives for peace in Sudan, humanitarian and security situations in Darfur.
JEM is part of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF), which includes also Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and the two factions of Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur and Minni Minnawi. The rebel alliance aims to topple the Sudanese regime.
The head of the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) was appointed as Joint Chief Mediator ad Interim in July 2011 last year after the resignation of Djibril Bassole who is appointed foreign minister for his country Burkina Faso.
“Combining the two functions is unacceptable because the mediation requires a number of terms and conditions among which the mediator is supposed to be neutral throughout the entire process,” Gibril Ibrahim told the British envoy.
“Gambari who offers great services to the Sudanese police is not eligible for this role,” he underscored.
JEM spokesperson Gibreel Adam Bilal told Sudan Tribune by satellite telephone that Gibril Ibrahim denounced the role played by the UNAMID in the region saying the largest peacekeeping mission implements a number of activities not included in its mandate.
Two weeks ago JEM said reconsidering its position from Gambari and slammed him for giving 25 four-wheel vehicles to the Sudanese police in Darfur. The rebels said he gave to the responsible of Darfur crimes the necessary logistical means to accomplish more war crimes. The African Union supported the appointment of Gambari as mediator to lead an internal process for political dialogue after the signing of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) in July 2011 by the Sudanese government and the Liberation and Equality Movement.
However, three members of the UN Security Council (USA, UK, and France) showed some reserves pointing out the incompatibility of the two jobs and stressed that the Darfur Political Dialogue can not be held unless the state of emergency is lifted.
Gibril Ibrahim also pointed out that the humanitarian situation of the displaced civilians has terribly deteriorated, accusing the Sudanese aid groups of implementing the government’s policy to dismantle the camps and depriving the IDPs of humanitarian aid provided by UN agencies.
In March 2009, Sudan expelled the international aid groups from Darfur accusing it of collaborating with the International Criminal Court after the release of an arrest warrant by the war crimes court against the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir.
JEM leader also said the DDPD does not bring peace and stability in Darfur because it is not comprehensive and non inclusive for the main rebel parties. He further accused Khartoum of choosing the military option to end the nine-year conflict.
Regarding the SRF alliance, Gibril said the rebel front is established in November 2011 because Khartoum rejects a negotiated settlement for the conflicts in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan. He also emphasized that ultimate target of this alliance is establish a democratic regime where fundamental freedoms and human rights are observed.
The rebel leader also dismissed Sudanese government efforts to adopt a permanent constitution in the country after the secession of South Sudan.
He said the current political and security conditions in Sudan do not allow the adoption of a permanent constitution, adding such process implies the participation of all the political forces. He also stressed it should be conducted by an elected government.
JEM took part in the Doha process for peace in Darfur but refused to sign the DDPD and demanded to hold further talks over the framework peace document. The Sudanese government rejected the demand saying negotiations can only resume once the rebels sign the text and it should discuss only their political participation in the national and Darfur institutions besides the integration of the rebel combatants.
Recently Gambari said he wants to visit Juba and Kampala, two capitals suspected of harboring the rebel groups, to ask them to press the rebel groups to join the regional and international efforts to end the armed conflict in Darfur.
(ST)