Darfur faction Abdel Wahid promises to release 32 IDPs on Friday

The Darfur rebel movement SLM-Abdel Wahid al Nur promised it will release on Friday the 32 people its forces abducted a few days ago who were on their way to the Nyala conference for displaced and refugees, the spokesman told Radio Dabanga. Mustapha Tambour, military spokesman of the rebel movement, said the group will be handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) “early in the morning in Darfur”. He did not provide any further details about the handover of the hostages, who include eight women. Last Sunday, armed UNAMID peacekeepers were escorting three buses carrying the group when they were stopped at a border area between Central and South Darfur. Mustapha Tambour, military spokesman of the rebel group, said his forces “told the people of UNAMID that we were representing the SLM Abdel Wahid al Nur” and that they “arrested” the people “because they were almost all security people pretending to be IDPs”.Tambour did not specify, when speaking to Radio Dabanga on Thursday afternoon, whether the hostages were in fact members of the security services or displaced on their way to attend the Nyala conference. Although SLM-AW and UNAMID agree the incident happened on Sunday 24 March, they made conflicting claims concerning its time. While the Mission says the event occurred at 6:20pm, the rebels say it happened at 3:30pm. “Without resistance” On Monday, the Chairman of the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) Dr. Tijani Sese condemned the UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur for “handing over 31 displaced to an armed movement without the slightest resistance”. Dr. Tijani Sese said the attack on the conference’s stakeholders represents a “blatant aggression against UN Charters”. He further said that kidnapping “innocent” people is “by all means an act of sabotage aimed at foiling the summit and sending negative signs to donors”. UNAMID condemned the arrest and said that despite its “opposition” the military group forced the IDPs to an unknown location. According to the Mission, its peacekeepers and assets are safe, but it has been unable to contact the IDPs to independently verify their situation. SLM-AW abduction’s allegations on Monday confirmed the earlier statement by the governor of Central Darfur, Yousif Tibin, accusing them of kidnapping the Darfurian group. Following the announcement of SLM-AW on Monday, displaced spokesman Hussein Abu Sharati blamed the government of Khartoum, DRA and the UN for the kidnapping. Following the rebels’ statement, Abu Sharati said he would ask UNAMID if it had new information about the case. Organized by the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) with logistical support of UNAMID, the Nyala conference was aimed at discussing several topics, including voluntary return, prior to the upcoming Donors Conference in Doha. It took place on 25 and 26 March in the South Darfur capital. File photo: Video footage showing SLM-AW leader Abdel-Wahid al-Nur, dressed in military uniform speaking to his troops in an undisclosed location (Sudan Tribune)Related: Darfur politician condemns UN for handing over 31 displaced ‘without resistance’ (25 March 2013)