Darfur rebel group inaugurates local office in Israel                  
Wednesday 27 February 2008 07:21.
     

  February 25, 2008 (PARIS) — A Darfur rebel group announced today that they 
have inaugurated an office in Israel, according to a press release received 
today by Sudan Tribune. 
   
   “We are telling our people that we opened Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) 
office in Israel” the statement read. The SLM faction led by Abdel-Wahid Al-Nur 
praised the Israeli government “for protecting Darfur youth from genocide” 
Al-Nur, speaking to Sudan Tribune by phone from Paris, confirmed the 
inauguration of the office. 
   
  “The office was created by some of the SLM members who sought refuge in 
Israel from the killings by the Sudanese government. This is our normal 
practice in any part of the world where we have a presence” the rebel leader 
said.
   
   “We believe in transparency with our people. We have nothing to hide or be 
ashamed of” he added. AL-Nur said the SLM “has a vision for a liberal, secular 
state in Sudan. As such we encourage tolerance towards all religions and 
ethnicities as well as peaceful coexistence”. 
   
  Sudanese refugees, particularly from Darfur where a rebellion has cost more 
than 200,000 civilian lives and made 2.5 million homeless, have been sneaking 
into Israel in increasing numbers over the past year through the Egyptian 
borders. This year, Israel granted temporary residency status to 600 refugees 
from Darfur. Many Israelis feel an obligation to help refugees because of the 
centuries of persecution Jews endured before they created their own state.
   
  “The revolution that started in Darfur intends to change some of the norms in 
Sudan including the taboo regarding the relations with Israel” Al-Nur said. 
   
  “Our vision of Sudan as we see it would allow for the opening of an Israeli 
embassy in Khartoum as long as it is in line with the interests of the Sudanese 
people” he added.
   
  Israel considers Sudan, a Muslim-dominated country, an “enemy state” and 
maintains a policy of not allowing citizens of a state with this classification 
of residing in the country. Sudan has no diplomatic relations established with 
Israel and remains hostile to the Jewish state on the grounds that it is 
occupying Arab lands. 
   
  Asked whether he fears the backlash of Arab and Islamic sentiment in Sudan 
and elsewhere Al-Nur said that he does not “customize the fundamental policies 
of the SLM to appeal to certain groups of people”. 
   
  “Our opinion on the Palestinian Israeli conflict is clear. We want both sides 
to reach an accord that would allow them to live peacefully together”.
   
  International experts estimate 200,000 people have died in the conflict, 
which Washington calls genocide, a term European governments are reluctant to 
use. The Sudan government says 9,000 people have been killed. (ST) 
   
  
http://alain-azria.blog.20minutes.fr/archive/2008/02/28/darfur-rebel-group-inaugurates-local-office-in-israel.html



       
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