Gaddafi says he asked Khalil Ibrahim not to speak from Libya

The Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said that he has asked the Darfuri rebel leader Khalil Ibrahim not to make public statements unless in the service of peace. He acknowledged that hosting the leader of the Justice and Equality Movement, Dr. Khalil Ibrahim in Libya is a “problem”. Gaddafi was speaking in an interview with the French television channel France24.

“It’s true that this poses a problem – it’s even embarrassing – it’s the first time that this has ever happened, whether it be for this man or for us. This man doesn’t have any documentation that allows him to visit other countries, because all his ID and travel documents have been taken from him, be it a passport or any other kind of documentation,” he said. He was referring to Khalil’s arrival in Libya in May this year after a stand-off at the Chadian airport in Ndjamena, where authorities refused him entry and destroyed his passports. Khalil Ibrahim had been trying to return to his troops in Darfur after taking part in peace negotiations at Doha, Qatar. The rapprochement between Chad and Sudan, however, resulted in his ejection from Chad.  Gaddafi explained: “Regarding his presence in Libya it’s normal that in Sudan or in Chad people should be concerned about this. And of course, we asked this gentleman not to issue any orders, and we forbad him from making any public statements, except in favor of peace and in favor of deposing arms. There are armed groups that are fighting in Darfur and their leader is in Libya so it’s normal to link the two. We asked Khalil, particularly as we are a key player, we asked him to do nothing to jeopardize the role of Libya as a mediator.” Khalil Ibrahim had given an interview with Al Jazeera television from Tripoli. His presence in Libya stoked a diplomatic row with the Sudanese regime, which in late June announced the closing of its porous border with Libya.

Asked about the genocide charges against Bashir, Gaddafi also said that the International Criminal Court is “at the service of colonialism and international terrorism.” He noted that Libya, like Sudan, does not recognize the jurisdiction of the court. The ICC claims jurisdiction over cases in Darfur because the investigation of the situation in Darfur was referred to the prosecutor by the United Nations Security Council.

In response to Gaddafi’s remarks, the Justice and Equality Movement said that it appreciates the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for his efforts to achieve peace in Darfur. A spokesman of the movement told Radio Dabanga that Dr. Khalil Ibrahim is in Libya temporarily and he appreciates the regional and international role of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.