Darfur politician condemns UN for handing over 31 displaced ‘without resistance’

The chairman of the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) condemned the UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur for “handing over 31 displaced to an armed movement without the slightest resistance”. Armed UNAMID peacekeepers were escorting the alleged hostages, who were traveling in three buses, from Zalingei in Central Darfur to Nyala, South Darfur. They were on the way to attend a DRA-sponsored conference to discuss the situation of displaced and refugees, including the issue of voluntary return, prior to the upcoming Donors Conference in Doha. The summit is taking place this week, on Monday and Tuesday, in the capital of South Darfur.  Chairman 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”. SLM-AW After news broke out about the abduction of the displaced, the rebel movement of SLM-Abdel Wahid al Nur (SLM-AW) confirmed to Radio Dabanga they were responsible for capturing 32-large group “because they were almost all security people pretending to be IDPs”. “We told the people of UNAMID that we were representing the SLM Abdel Wahid al Nur. We explained that we were taking the people because they were not civilians or IDPs but security people working for the government of Khartoum”, they said. Mustapha Tambour, SLM-AW military spokesman told Radio Dabanga he has evidence, documents and ID-cards of the people that proves they were not genuine IDPs but “betrayers”. He denied that the action was against the human rights of targeting innocent civilians and assured Radio Dabanga would soon receive all evidence proving the abducted were not displaced but security agents. UNAMID said the cars were stopped at 6:20pm, but Tambour said rebel forces stopped the buses at around 3:30pm on the Arga crossing point and Kass locality, a border area between the states of Central and South Darfur. The statement of the Abdel Wahid-faction of the SLM confirms the earlier statement by the governor of Central Darfur, Yousif Tibin, accusing the rebels of the kidnapping. Burden During his opening speech at the Koral Hotel in Nyala where the conference is being held, Dr Tijani Sese said UNAMID forces must be strong to protect themselves and repulse attacks so that it does not become a “burden” to the Sudanese army. At the moment, he suggested, the Mission needs protection instead of protecting others. The chairman noted that putting a halt to development in Darfur, and seizing aid workers and their vehicles is an “unacceptable mechanism” that should be condemned in the strongest terms. “Peace in Darfur moves forward everyday”, he said, “particularly the progress of negotiations between the Sudanese government and the JEM rebel faction led by Mohamed Bashar Ahmed Abdel Rahman in Doha”. Sese said he does not want to see Darfur becoming the scene of “war absurdities waged by adventurers who only want to achieve their personal ambitions”. UN Condemnation UNAMID condemned the arrest and said that despite its “opposition” the military group forced the IDPs to an unknown location. The Mission said the incident of 24 March happened around 6:20pm in which three commercial buses carrying 31 IDPs were stopped by a large unidentified armed group in military uniforms and seven jeep-mounted guns. UNAMID says it had been receiving conflicting reports of the situation of the IDPs. According to the Mission, its peacekeepers and assets are safe, but it has been unable to contact the IDPs to independently verify their situation. At the request of the DRA, UNAMID was escorting the displaced as part of its support to this important event that is being held on 25 and 26 March. UNAMID condemns this incident and stands ready to escort the IDPs to the Nyala Conference and to provide any other assistance, the spokesperson said. Displaced Speaking to Radio Dabanga before the announcement of SLM-AW, displaced spokesman Hussein Abu Al Sharati blamed the government of Khartoum, the Darfur Regional Authority and the UN for the kidnapping. Following the rebels’ statement, Abu Al Sharati said he would ask UNAMID if it had new information about the case. Photo: Dr. Tijani Sese, chairman of the Darfur Regional Authority (Radio Dabanga file) Related: SLM-Abdel Wahid confirms abduction of 32 Darfurians and expects their release soon (25 March 2013) Agreement between JEM splinter faction and Sudan government initialed (25 March 2013) Darfur displaced to attend Nyala conference: their views (22 March 2013) Displaced, refugees largely reject Nyala conference in S Darfur (22 March 2013)