Government ‘will expel all rebels from Sudan in 2012’

On Wednesday the Government of Sudan filed a complaint to the United Nations Security Council, the African Union and a number of international organizations stating that a 79 vehicle strong military convoy of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) was traveling to South Sudan. The statement released by the Sudanese Foreign Ministry said the international community should put pressure on South Sudan, to refrain from providing assistance to the rebel group, confiscate their weapons and hand them over to the Sudanese authorities. Mohammed Atta, director of Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) asserted that next year will see the end of all rebel movements in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile state. He said the government will sweep area to area to expel all rebels. Gibril Adam Bilal, spokesman for JEM responded claiming 2012 will be the end of the government in Khartoum, with those responsible for crimes against the Sudanese people brought to justice. The spokesman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N), Arnu Ngutulu Lodi told Radio Dabanga that the statement by Mohammed Atta shows the panic and nervousness present amongst the government, following the assassination of JEM’s leader. He said the NISS chief is unable to predict what may happen next.