JEM head denies Sudan-Chad border clash was ‘murder’

Dr Jibril Ibrahim, head of Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), has strongly denied that his forces “murdered” JEM-Bashar faction leader Mohamed Bashar, his deputy Suleiman Arko, his brother Noureen Bashar and at least eight others on Sunday at the Sudan-Chad border.In an interview with Radio Dabanga, Dr Ibrahim said that the incident was “a military confrontation that took place between armed militants from both sides”. “Some people died and some were wounded from both factions, so the allegations of ‘assassination in cold blood’ are groundless and unfounded,” said Dr Ibrahim.He also he denied the allegation that the clash occurred in Chadian territory: “If that was the case, the Chadian government would be talking about it. The entire engagement took place on Sudanese soil. The JEM did not enter into Chad nor did it assassinate any one.”The National Intelligence and Security Service and the Sudanese Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Sunday and Monday, calling the JEM version of the story “a bare lie and completely far from truth”.However, Dr Ibrahim blamed “international parties who rushed to condemn the JEM based on news from the Sudanese government without verification, investigation or contacting both conflict parties to find the truth”. He pointed out that Unamid has not yet sent a team to the area to investigate. “They just depend on the government’s claims without verifying or contacting the other parties.”PrisonersRegarding the fate of the JEM-Bashar militants captured by JEM during the engagement, Dr Ibrahim explained that they are still members of his (JEM) movement. “They are not Prisoners of War, nor have they ever claimed to have left the movement. The statutes and laws of the movement’s forces determine sanctions against any member of the movement who commits the crime of high treason, bears arms in the face of the government, engages in complicity with the enemy, etc.,“What happens to them must be decided by a Court Martial. We have not dismissed them, nor have they submitted a resignation nor have they ever said they’re joining another movement.”Dr Ibrahim added that the men who were captured “tried to steal the name of the JEM, handed over JEM equipment to the regime, and are now under arrest; not as Prisoners of War. They will be treated and accordingly tried as (delinquent) JEM members because they accepted and signed our laws.”Chadian troopsDr. Ibrahim reiterated that Chadian troops are on the move in Darfur. He told Radio Dabanga that on Thursday, Chadian forces were seen at Kurwa in North Darfur as well as in Furawiya in North Darfur.“We do not seek to confront these Chadian forces in any way,” said Dr Ibrahim, “because they are not the enemy we have taken up arms against. We are fighting Sudanese government troops on Sudanese soil, and request foreign parties not to interfere in our internal affairs.” Dr Ibrahim called on Chad to withdraw its forces.However, Colonel Al Sawarmi Khalid Saad, spokesman for the Sudanese Army has denied that Chadian forces crossed the Sudanese border. He described the JEM version of events as “untrue and unconfirmed”.According to the Sudan News Agency on Thursday, Saad said that that “talk of Chadian forces entering Sudanese territory is a media ruse to hide many of the aims of the rebels and to embarrass the governments of Sudan and Chad”.  “Chad fighter jets target JEM”JEM spokesman Jibril Adam Bilal has alleged that a jet fighter from Chad bombed the El Tina locality in North Darfur on Monday, one day after JEM-Bashar leader was killed in unclear circumstances in the area. Bilal: “So far, there are no reports of casualties from our side.”An anonymous source speaking to AFP said the jet fighters were targeting JEM forces, adding that the Chadian Air Force “bombed both sides of the border”. This informant also had no information about casualties.Bilal claimed Sudanese and Chadian aircraft had carried out more raids since Monday, but the source was unable to confirm this. A Sudanese defence ministry spokesman and Unamid both claimed to have no information about the air strike.File photo: Dr Jibril Ibrahim, head of JEMRelated: JEM strongly refutes faction’s account of Chad-Sudan border clash (16 May 2013)