South Darfur state accuses UNAMID of aiding rebels Article Comments (3) Email PrintSave --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 12, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – A website with close links to Sudan’s security agency accused the African Union-United Nations mission of Darfur (UNAMID) of providing rebel groups with material support in its insurgency campaign against the central government in Khartoum. UNAMID peacekeepers from Thailand posted in Muhkjar (West Darfur) - Demotix Images The Sudanese Media Center (SMC) quoted unnamed sources at South Darfur governorate as saying that UNAMID is aiding rebels through the Ugandan contingency serving in the war ravaged region. It also alleged that the chief of staff of the Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) met recently with the leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) Abdel-Wahid Al-Nur in Kampala and offered full military support. The SLM is one of two major factions fighting the Sudanese army in Darfur. Relations between the Sudan and Uganda have soured for some time over Uganda’s support for South Sudan’s secession and its warning to president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir not to visit because of its obligation to execute the arrest warrant against him issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Recently, Uganda claimed that Sudan has refused to grant visas to its police officers serving as part of the peacekeeping mission in Darfur. SMC further reported that UNAMID gave Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) supplies of fuel to their fighters stationed East of She’riya in South Darfur. The peacekeeping force conceals that by saying that unknown men looted their vehicles, the report says. Furthermore, UNAMID uses its evacuation helicopters to help rebel groups and encourages Darfuris to flee their homes and join IDP camps to extend the duration of the crisis. The source warned UNAMID not to exceed its mandate and stick to its Status of Force Agreement (SOFA). UNAMID has more than 17,700 troops – part of over 23,000 military personnel – on the ground in Darfur, a remote and arid region on Sudan’s western flank. At least 300,000 people have been killed in Darfur and 1.8 million people forced to flee their homes since non-Arab rebels first rose up against the Arab-dominated Khartoum regime in 2003, the United Nations says. (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
