Myth of
South Sudan’s role in the Darfur Conflict Refuted
By Dr. Mahmoud A. Suleiman
The government of the National Congress Party (NCP) continues to lodge complaints against the Justice and Equality Movement, to find fault, for everything, whether trivial or significant, even it grumbled to the ‘dust of the earth’ in an odious manner! Not surprisingly, after the repeated recent crushing defeats suffered by the government of Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and allied militias at the hands of the gallant rebels of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), the collapsing wearing away regime accused Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) in
Juba of harbouring and supporting the rebel group. This time the allegation is reportedly made by Dr. Ghazi Salah El-Din one of the army of advisors to the president of the NCP regime, Marshal Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir, the fugitive indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity and Genocide, he has committed against the people of Sudan in Darfur. Here, Dr. Ghazi Salah El-Din Atabani seems to have went stray having lost the compass of the Darfur Peace Process (DPP) supposedly being pursued. Observers believe and they are justified, that Dr. Ghazi tries to cover-up his extreme frustration over the abject failure of his “New Strategy for Darfur Peace” which has been rejected outright by the Sudanese masses in the Internally Displaced Persons and refugee camps, in the Diaspora and in all regions of the country. As well, the ‘Strategy’ has been censured by some quarters of the international community and regional players for its naivety and frivolousness. An this failure will be added to previous chronic fizzling outs of the hate-driven reckless policies that each of the Islamist movement’s colourful names starting from the Muslim Brotherhood (MBH), Islamic Charter Front (ICF), National Islamic Front (NIF), National Salvation Revolution (NSR) National Congress Party (NCP), and Popular Congress Party (PCP) tried to impose on the people of Sudan in Darfur. Political Analysts are certain that the ‘blame game’ plan of implicating the SPLA/M into victories of Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) forces against the NCP militias that Dr. Ghazi and the ilk are orchestrating mere features of desperation. The political strategists indicate that there is no way left for the NCP regime other than coming to its senses and paying in full the dues and the rights of the people of
Sudan in
Darfur and Kordofan without prevarication or resorting to its usual delaying tactics. On the other hand, Dr. Ghazi Salah El-Din Atabani and the other members of the NCP clique ought to not forget the fact the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM/A) is partner in the so-called Government of National Unity (GONU) and that JEM is a Sudanese rebel movement which adopts national agenda per its manifesto. Accordingly JEM has the legitimate right to engage with SPLM/A in consultations and exchange ideas about how best to prevent
Sudan from sliding into total collapse from the current state of impasse. Furthermore, the forces of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) are widely spread in all the area it has liberated in Darfur and Kordofan regions and elsewhere in the rest of ‘Northern’
Sudan. Dr. Ghazi Salah El-Din Atabani, the presidential advisor in charge of the Darfur peace portfolio, needs to reflect on to all the foregoing facts and refrain from his unproductive rhetoric and devote his conscious time for the monumental task entrusted to him at the
Doha forum. Will he desert the failed ‘New Strategy for Darfur Peace and concentrate on his duty? That is the SIXTY FOUR DOLLAR QUESTION ($64 Question) he has to answer!
Dr. Mahmoud A. Suleiman is the Deputy Chairman of the General Congress for Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). He can be reached at [email protected]
