Deputy head of JEM sacked

Leaders say there was enough information about him planning a coup against the leadership

Khalil Ibrahim, the head of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), sacked Mohammed Bahr Hamdeen as the deputy head of the JEM and the secretary of the JEM’s Kordofan region on Monday.Mohammed Bahr has also been suspended as a member of the JEM. The movement’s spokesperson, Jibril Adam Bilal, told Radio Dabanga, “He was planning a coup against JEM’s leadership. We had solid information about it. He began implementing it by inviting a lot of members to Doha.”

Bilal explained that some of the members who got this invitation were already in Doha to address a press conference regarding the return of Khalil Ibrahim back to Darfur.

There were several new appointments made by Khalil Ibrahim in the wake of the dismissal. Bakhit Abdel Karim Abdullah (also known as Dabjo) was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the JEM forces, while Adam Hammad Tahir was appointed as the deputy commander. Further, Mohammed Fidail Rahoma will now be the second vice-commander in chief and Abdullah Sulaiman Ismail, the director of the office of the JEM president.