Nyala summit: Sudan vice-president accuses rebels of Darfur crimes

In his opening speech during the Nyala summit for displaced and refugees, the Sudanese vice-president said rebel forces are behind the lootings and kidnappings that occur in Darfur. Dr. Al Haj Adam Youssef praised the efforts of the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) for ensuring security and stability in the region and called upon those holding arms and rebels to stop the war and move towards peace.He told the conference’s participants on Monday afternoon that the Darfur issue could “only be resolved by its people”.SLM-MM: “unfounded” Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) called the vice-president’s allegations “unfounded”. Rebels took up arms against injustice, marginalization and for the dignity, freedom, justice, equality and democracy, not to loot money from the Sudanese people, it declared. Since his appointment, the vice-president has criticized forces opposed to the government, including rebels, “to prove his loyalty to his benefactor President Omar Al Bashir”, Adam Saleh Abkar, SLM-MM military spokesman, told Radio Dabanga.He claimed the Sudanese government has committed war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in several parts of Darfur: Tabra, Hashaba, Shawa, Sigili, Kassab and Jebel ‘Amer.   JEM: “majorly responsible” Spokesman for the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Jibril Bilal, said that Youssef and DRA Chairman Dr. Tijani Sese are “majorly” responsible for the horrible deterioration of security that has and continues to happen in Darfur. They both strive on selling the idea that rebel forces are responsible for crimes in Darfur, “covering up for Khartoum and allowing it to commit even more crimes”, he said. Bilal stressed that militias armed by the government are the main reason behind lootings, murders, rapes, abductions and lack of security in Darfur. Lastly, he said the voluntary return conference in Nyala is “a political program” for the ruling National Congress Party (NCP).1,070 participantsThe Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees conference, held in Nyala on 25 and 26 March, was aimed at discussing the situation of displaced and refugees, including the issue of voluntary return, prior to the upcoming Donors Conference in Doha. Before the start of the summit, UNAMID and the Voluntary Return and Resettlement Commission of the DRA announced they expected over 1,000 participants to attend. According to an official note issued after the conference, over 1,170 people took part in it. These included: 360 displaced, 150 refugees, 100 members of civil society organizations, 100 members of native administrations, 65 NGOs representatives, 75 people of Darfur state governments, 40 members of parliament and 250 representatives of Sudanese federal ministries, diplomats, UN, UNAMID and other guests.   Among the participants were DRA Chairman Dr. Tijani Sese, Interior Minister Ibrahim Hamid Mahmoud and governors of the five states of Darfur. The topics scheduled to be discussed in the summit were security, protection, peace, voluntary return, reconstruction, social peace and repairing the social fabric, land use, humanitarian situation, compensations and restitution, roads issues, women, children and finance. Photo: Vice-president of the Republic of the Sudan, Al Haj Adam Youssef (L), delivers his speech at the Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees Conference in the Koral Hotel in Nyala, South Darfur on Monday. On his right is DRA Chairman Dr. Tijani Sese (Albert Gonzalez Farran/ UNAMID)Related: Darfur politician condemns UN for handing over 31 displaced ‘without resistance’ (25 March 2013)