ICRC facilitates handover of two SAF soldiers

A press statement issued by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Wednesday, 5 December, stated that the ICRC facilitated the handover of two members of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) released by a splinter group of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) led by Mohamed Bashar. The released soldiers were placed in the care of the Sudanese authorities in North Darfur. The ICRC, in its capacity as a neutral intermediary, assisted in the transfer of the soldiers at the request of the JEM and the Sudanese authorities. “Our delegates met with the soldiers and made sure they arrived safely in El-Fasher,” said Jean-Christophe Sandoz, head of the ICRC delegation in Sudan. “We stand ready to provide support for any similar operation in the future, should the need arise.” In November, it facilitated the handover of three Sudanese soldiers released by the Sudan Revolutionary Front. Salah Ahmed, deputy-secretary of culture and media of the JEM splinter group led by Mohamed Bashar, told Radio Dabanga that the decision to handover the prisoners to the ICRC and indicates the movement’s respect for the principles of international law, human rights and the Geneva convention on prisoners of war. The deputy-secretary added that the released soldiers are Ahmed Mohamed Sunni of the fifth infantry division from Gadaref and Mohi el-Deen Sadeeq of the Central Reserve Forces (known as Abu Tira) from Wad Medani.