JEM splinter group holds conference

The transitional military council of the splinter faction from the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) is currently holding a conference in the region of Derma, North Darfur, the movement’s president told Radio Dabanga. The president, Mohamed Bashar, said the ‘General Conference’ started on Monday 19 November and will last until Tuesday. He asserted that 401 people are taking part in it and that atendees include field commanders, politicians, young people, women, refugees and displaced persons. In addition, Bashar announced that during the conference he was elected the movement’s president, Arko Suleiman Baheer was elected its vice-president and Baheed Abdul Karim its general commander. Lastly, he revealed that politics, economy, security and humanitarian issues are being discussed in the General Conference, which will be concluded with a military parade. ‘NCP conference’ On his turn, Jibril Ibrahim, head of the ‘original’ JEM announced he did not recognize the splinter group and said the event is a fraud and rigged. The spokesman of JEM, Jibril Adam Bilal, said there have been no ties or links between both movements for a ‘very long time’. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, Bilal mocked the conference as he claimed it to be protected by joint Chadian and Sudanese forces and as members of the National Congress Party (NCP) and of the security services have reportedly attended it. Bilal described the event as an NCP conference and accused the splinter group of being ‘spies of the government of Sudan’.Photo: Mohamed Bashar Ahmed Abdel RahmanSee also: JEM splinter group commits to peace process (22 October 2012)