Press Releases
Justice & Equality Movement Sudan (JEM):JEM Strongly Condemns the Abduction of INGO Staff in Darfur
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Jul 20, 2010 - 7:30:12 AM

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Justice & Equality Movement Sudan (JEM)

www.sudanjem.com

[email protected]

JEM Strongly Condemns the Abduction of INGO Staff in Darfur

Justice & Equality Movement Sudan (JEM) condemns, in the strongest terms and language, the abduction of international staff of INGOs in Darfur and holds the National Congress Party (NCP) government squarely and solely responsible for the obstruction of humanitarian work in the region. The NCP government is resorting to the creation of a state of terror and chaos for the international humanitarian organizations to leave them with no choice but complete withdrawal from the region. This policy is perfectly in line with the regime�s declaration of �Sudanization� of all humanitarian work in Sudan within one year made in March 2009. It is also in line with the regime�s publicly announced intentions to get rid of the IDP camps as stark symbols of its scorched earth policies in Darfur. JEM cannot and does not understand how the perpetrators could continue kidnapping international humanitarian workers from within the capital cities of the region - such as Nyala in the latest case - and release them against ransoms - usually paid through the mediation of the regime - without the knowledge and tacit approval of the NCP government.

JEM is seriously concerned about the continuously deteriorating humanitarian assistance in Darfur since the expulsion of 13 major INGOs from Sudan in March 2009 in response to the issuance of an arrest warrant against Omer Al Bashir from the ICC. The predictable consequence of the total withdrawal of the INGOs is nothing other than unconceivable human suffering and mass deaths of the most vulnerable such as children, women and the elderly. This intentional act of subjecting the population of the IDP camps and other needy Darfuris to starvation and disease amounts to a crime of genocide without any doubt.

 JEM earnestly urges the international community and the UN to use all the means at their disposal to make the NCP regime change its irresponsible and disastrous course towards humanitarian work in Sudan. The militia that kidnap the INGO workers are allies to the Regime and it is in a position to stop them or expose their callous behaviour.

Suleiman M. Jamous

Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs

19 July 2010