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khaleej times We dnesd ay,May20, 2009 Merchant Who Wen t toBattle cairo — The rst Darfur suspect to appear before an international court was once a promin ent leader in the war-torn region’s most powerful rebel group who broke away to form hisownfaction. Bahr Idriss Abu Garda voluntari ly handed himself over to The Hague- based International Criminal Court, where he faces charges of murder and pillagi ngin a2007 attackagains tpeace- keepersin Darfur. The court has indi cted two oth er reb elgures .It hasalsoissu edan ord er for the arrest of the rebels’ opponent, Sudanese Presiden t OmarAl Bashir , on charges of genocide and war crimes in theDarfu r war , inwhich upto 300,0 00 people have been killed since 2003. Al Bashir has refused to cooperat e withthe court. Abu Garda, a native of Darfur from theprominentZaghawatribe,was once a merchant who headed the Chad of- ces of the government-run Sudanese Gum Arabic company. He was among many young black Darfuris who once backed the Islamic fundamentalis t re- gime in Khartoum but soon became disillusioned with it, accusing it of dis- crimina tionagainst Darfur’sethnic Af- ricanpopulation . He became an early member of the Islami st-lean ing Justice and Equalit y Movemen t, whose leader, Khalil Ibra- him, was once a government ocial in thenorthern-ledregime. Abu Garda rose in the ranks of JEM to become its secretary general. But in 2007, he fell out with the group. Sulei- man Jamous, a JEM member, said Abu Garda didn’t take criticism well from thegroup’sleaders. Abu Garda formed his own break - away JEM faction, called the collective lea ders hip.Butthe fallfromgrac e with JEM has cost Abu Garda prestige and footsoldiers,since mostghterschose to stay with JEM, the region’s most powerfulrebelforce. According to Jamous , the split took place shortly before the attack against a peacekeepers base in the northern Darfurtownof Haskani ta,in whichAbu Gardais accused. Thatwasoneof thedeadliestattacks ever against peacekeepers in Darfur: 12 peac eke eper s were kil led, eig ht were severely wounded and the rebel s lootedweapons , equipme ntand money fromthe base. Lastyear,Abu Gardaformedanother rebel group, known as the United Re- sistance Front , which includes Darfur Arabsopposedto Kharto um. Jamous and JEM eld commander Suleima nSandalsay AbuGarda’sgroup has no presence on the ground in Dar- furandhaslittl eswayon thecon ict. “He has no other option” but to sur- render , Sandalsaidfrom Darfur. — AP BahrIdrissAbuGarda.— AP 21 region “We are assured the government of Sudan is trying hard t o men d fen ces w ith th e gove rnment of Chad. ” —arableague secretary-generalamr moussa Su da n Ac cuses Ch ad of Ai di ng Re be ls el f as h e r (sudan) — Suda n’s top ocial in North Darfur accused Chad on Monday of sending troops into his territ ory to ght alongside Darfur rebels, raising the stakes in the simmer ing tension between the two Africancountries . North Darfur governor Osman Ke- bir said Chadia n forces had reinfor ced ghter s from Darfur’s rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in an attack on the strategic town of Kornoi onSaturday. Sudan accused Chad of carrying out three air strikes on its territory last week, calling the raids an “act of war” agains t thestate ofSudan. However, this was the rst occasion inrecenttimesthatit hadsaidChad ian groundtroopshad breacheditsborder. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon repe ate d hiscall forall par tiesto ceas e ghting , accordin g toa statem entfrom UNspokeswomanMarieOkabe. “(Ban) underscores that there is no mil itar y sol utio n tothe sit uati onin the sub-regi on and urgesthe governme nts of Chad and Sudan to refrain from any actthatmayleadtoa furt herescal ati on oftensions,”Okabesaid. Chad said on Sunday it had carried out the air raids, and fought near Su- dan’s border, to destroy anti-Chadi an insurgen tsit saidwere takingrefugein- sideSudan.Ithassofarnotcommented onSaturday’sgroundattackon Kornoi . “Chadia n aggres sion has reached the locality of Kornoi, a town near the Chadian border,” said Kebir, speaking through a translator as he addressed a delegation of the leaders of the Arab League, the African Union Commis- sionand theOrganisatio n ofthe Islam- icConference. “Kornoi has been attacked by Chad forces with JEM. Our armed forces havestoppedthe aggres sion.” Chad ian Pres iden t Idri ss Deb y has ethnic links wit h JEM’ s lead er Khalil Ibrahi m and many of his top commanders and Khartoum regularly accusesitsneighbourof support ingthe rebelforce. AmrMoussa,secretar y-genera lof the ArabLeague, said he remaine d hopeful abouttheprospectsforpeaceinDarfur, despite an increase in violence along theChadianborder. “We are assured the government of Sudan is trying hard to mend fences with the government of Chad to move toward a low intensity situation,” he told reporters at the end of his delega- tion’sone-dayvisitto ElFasher. Je an Pi ng , cha ir of the Af ric an Union Commission, declined to com- ment on the reports of Chadian in- volvemen t inSudan. About 4.7 million people rely on humanitarian aid in Darfur, a conict in which UN ocials say as many as 300, 000peoplehavedied inalmostsix yearsof ethnicand politica l violence. Kha rt oum sa ys 10,000 peo pl e havedied.—Reuters Nort h Darfurgovernor OsmanKebir said Chadi an force s had reinf orcedghters from Darfur’s rebelJustice and Equal ity Mov emen t
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khaleej times Wednesday,May20, 2009
Merchant Who Went to Battlecairo — The rst Darfur suspect toappear before an international court was once a prominent leader in the war-torn region’s most powerfulrebel group who broke away to formhisownfaction.
Bahr Idriss Abu Garda voluntarily handed himself over to The Hague- based International Criminal Court, where he faces charges of murder andpillagingin a2007 attackagainstpeace-keepersin Darfur.
The court has indicted two otherrebelgures.It hasalsoissuedan orderfor the arrest of the rebels’ opponent,Sudanese President OmarAl Bashir, oncharges of genocide and war crimes intheDarfur war, inwhich upto 300,000people have been killed since 2003. Al Bashir has refused to cooperate withthe court.
Abu Garda, a native of Darfur fromtheprominentZaghawatribe,was oncea merchant who headed the Chad of-ces of the government-run SudaneseGum Arabic company. He was among many young black Darfuris who once backed the Islamic fundamentalist re-
gime in Khartoum but soon becamedisillusioned with it, accusing it of dis-criminationagainst Darfur’sethnic Af-ricanpopulation.
He became an early member of theIslamist-leaning Justice and Equality Movement, whose leader, Khalil Ibra-him, was once a government ocial inthenorthern-ledregime.
Abu Garda rose in the ranks of JEMto become its secretary general. But in2007, he fell out with the group. Sulei-man Jamous, a JEM member, said AbuGarda didn’t take criticism well fromthegroup’sleaders.
Abu Garda formed his own break-away JEM faction, called the collectiveleadership.Butthe fallfromgrace withJEM has cost Abu Garda prestige andfootsoldiers,since mostghterschoseto stay with JEM, the region’s mostpowerfulrebelforce.
According to Jamous, the split tookplace shortly before the attack againsta peacekeepers base in the northernDarfurtownof Haskanita,in whichAbuGardais accused.
Thatwasoneof thedeadliestattacksever against peacekeepers in Darfur:12 peacekeepers were killed, eight were severely wounded and the rebelslootedweapons, equipmentand money fromthe base.
Lastyear,Abu Gardaformedanotherrebel group, known as the United Re-sistance Front, which includes Darfur Arabsopposedto Khartoum.
Jamous and JEM eld commanderSuleimanSandalsay AbuGarda’sgrouphas no presence on the ground in Dar-furandhaslittleswayon theconict.
“He has no other option” but to sur-render, Sandalsaidfrom Darfur. — AP
BahrIdrissAbuGarda.— AP
21region“We are assured the government of Sudan is trying hard t o men d fen ces w ith th e gove rnm ent of Chad. ” —arableague secretary-generalamr moussa
SudanAccusesChadofAidingRebels
e l f ashe r (suda n ) — Sudan’stop ocial in North Darfur accusedChad on Monday of sending troopsinto his territory to ght alongsideDarfur rebels, raising the stakes in thesimmering tension between the two Africancountries.
North Darfur governor Osman Ke- bir said Chadian forces had reinforcedghters from Darfur’s rebel Justiceand Equality Movement (JEM) in anattack on the strategic town of KornoionSaturday.
Sudan accused Chad of carrying outthree air strikes on its territory last
week, calling the raids an “act of war”against thestate ofSudan.
However, this was the rst occasioninrecenttimesthatit hadsaidChadiangroundtroopshad breacheditsborder.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moonrepeated hiscall forall partiesto cease
ghting, according toa statementfromUNspokeswomanMarieOkabe.
“(Ban) underscores that there is nomilitary solution tothe situationin thesub-region and urgesthe governmentsof Chad and Sudan to refrain from any actthatmayleadtoa furtherescalationoftensions,”Okabesaid.
Chad said on Sunday it had carriedout the air raids, and fought near Su-dan’s border, to destroy anti-Chadianinsurgentsit saidwere takingrefugein-sideSudan.IthassofarnotcommentedonSaturday’sgroundattackon Kornoi.
“Chadian aggression has reachedthe locality of Kornoi, a town near theChadian border,” said Kebir, speaking through a translator as he addresseda delegation of the leaders of the ArabLeague, the African Union Commis-sionand theOrganisation ofthe Islam-icConference.
“Kornoi has been attacked by Chad
forces with JEM. Our armed forceshavestoppedthe aggression.”
Chadian President Idriss Deby has ethnic links with JEM’s leaderKhalil Ibrahim and many of his topcommanders and Khartoum regularly accusesitsneighbourof supportingthe
rebelforce. AmrMoussa,secretary-generalof the
ArabLeague, said he remained hopefulabouttheprospectsforpeaceinDarfur,despite an increase in violence along theChadianborder.
“We are assured the government of Sudan is trying hard to mend fences with the government of Chad to movetoward a low intensity situation,” hetold reporters at the end of his delega-tion’sone-dayvisitto ElFasher.
Jean Ping, chair of the AfricanUnion Commission, declined to com-ment on the reports of Chadian in- volvement inSudan.
About 4.7 million people rely onhumanitarian aid in Darfur, a conictin which UN ocials say as many as300,000peoplehavedied inalmostsix yearsof ethnicand political violence.
Khartoum says 10,000 peoplehavedied.—Reuters
North DarfurgovernorOsmanKebir saidChadian forces hadreinforcedghters fromDarfur’s rebelJusticeand Equality Movement
