Darfur commanders impeach President of SLM/A Abdel Wahid Mohamed Ahmed Nur

On July 22, 2006 UN SRSG Jan Pronk blogged about two new rebel groups in Darfur, G19 & NRF, and revealed that SLM Abdel Wahid al-Nur declared his aim to become President of Sudan. Going by this, it apppears Nur's ambitions are along the same lines as JEM's. Not peace in Darfur but war to overthrow the now very experienced regime in Khartoum.

It seems to me that supporters of Darfur rebel groups, other than Minnawi's SLM/A, whether they realise it or not, are aiming for a change of regime. To be replaced by what? Another unelected group that stole power through the barrel of a gun? The Darfur rebel groups seem no better than the regime they aim to replace. Is Sudan ungovernable? It's evident that the current regime is doing a pretty good job of holding it all together. The Sudan is as large as Europe, packed with uneducated people who are governed by tribal leaders. Tribal leaders are the key to peace in Darfur, not naive Americans meddling in a country and culture that goes back as far as the year dot. Doing ones best to sound the alert and help get aid to people most in need is one thing, but influencing Westerners to stir up politicians to arrange military invasion of an African country against its will is something altogether different. Tribal leaders hold the key to peace in the Sudan, not the slick opportunistic operators based in Europe and America who use the lives of starving uneducated African women and children as pawns in their power games. In essence, Darfur war seems to boil down to oil and ruthless unelected thugs who want charge of it to line their own pockets. [See Sudan Watch Apr 18 2005: New oil field in Darfur]



Photo: Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, right talks to Abdel Wahid al-Nur of a faction of rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) before he walks out of a peace meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Friday, May 5, 2006. (AP/Sudan Watch archive)

Darfur commanders impeach SLM/A's Nur

Darfur commanders dismiss al-Nur from the SLM leadership, Sudan Tribune reported August 1, 2006. Copy in full:

July 31, 2006 (PARIS) - Military commanders of Sudan Liberation Movement known as Abdelwahid al-Nur Faction dismissed Abdelwahid al-Nur from the leadership of the movement, a press release said.

32 leaders of the SLM Military Council and the Field Command in a meeting held on 25 July in undisclosed place in Sudan's Darfur region removed the SLM historical leader Abdelwahid Mohamed Ahmed al-Nur. The press statement didn't give further details on the motivations of this decision. Sudan Tribune has learned that Abdelwahid is criticised for his lack consultations and contacts with the leadership of the movement inside the Sudan and particularly with the military command in Darfur.

Abdelwahid's detractors say he didn't act correctly with the African Union and the international community to explain the position of the SLM. They add that the movement lost a lot politically because of Abdelwahed mischief.

The military commanders designed Ahmed Abdelshafi Yagoub Baasi as a new chairman of the movement. They charged him to reorganize the structure of the movement within 75 hours. Baasi is the chief commander of the movement.

Different sources from the movement told Sudan Tribune that this move expresses the main stream within the movement. According to ST sources the new body is disposed to negotiate with the Sudanese government to joint the Darfur Peace Agreement.

Sudanese government softened its position towards Abdelwahid group after the signing of the 5 may deal hopping to persuade Abdelwahid biggest tribe in Darfur to join the deal.

Below the full text of the Press release
---

Statement of the SLM/A Military Council & Field Command Office - Liberated areas

Re: Impeachment of President of SLM/A Abdel Wahid Mohamed Ahmed Nur. July 28, 2006 - Statement No :(1) Based on the meeting of the Military Council and the Field Command on Tuesday 25/7/2006; the following decisions were reached :-

Removal of Abdelwahid Mohamed Ahmed al-Nur from the Presidency of SLM/A
Appointment of commander Ahmed Abdelshafi Yagoub Baasi as president of the movement and commander in chief of the army
The new president of the movement and general commander in consultation with the military council must reorganize the structure of the movement within the next 72 hours following the publication of this statement
The new leadership must immediately take charge of SLM affairs until the general conference of the movement takes place.

We call upon the Sudanese people and Darfur people specially and SLM followers in the displaced citizens & refugee camps, villages and cities to rest assured that the new leadership and the field command will protect the rights of Darfur people and the rights of all Sudanese, and of the revolution. May all our martyrs rest in peace and our wounded gain their health. Glory to our Sudanese people and our people in Darfur.

Signitories:
1. Commander/ Ahmed Abdel Shafi Yagoub Baasi 2. C/ Al Haj Younis Abakar 3. Ustaz Babikir Abdalla Mohamed 4. C/ Abdou Abdalla Ismail 5. C/Abdel Basit Abdalla Abdel Gabbar 6. C/Abdel Aziz Mohamed Goumaa (Danforth) 7. C/Ahmed Siraj 8. C/Abou El Gasim Imam El Haj 9. C/Nasr El Din Torou 10. C/Ismail Karokoya 11. C/ Abdalla Abbakar Mohamed 12. Ustaz Mohei El Din Abdalla Abdel Gabbar 13. C/ Yagoub Abdalla Ali Sumbo 14. C/ Omer Mohamed 15. C/Ismail Abdalla (Abou Digin) 16. C/ Abdalla Al Sudani 17. C/ Adam Hassan 18. Dr. El Sanousi Mohamed El Sanousi 19. C/ Adam Younis 20. C/ Omer Tabra 21. C/ Yehia Karkaweel 22. C/ Mohamed Abdelrahim 23. C/ Osman Mohamed Ali 24. C/ Adam Abdalla 25. C/ Adam Ali 26. C/ Ismael Gevara 27. C/ Mohamed Yagoub 28. C/ Mohamed El Tahir 29. Ustaz Abdel Latif Abdalla Ismail 30. Engineer Moustapha Eisa Moustapha 31. C/ El Hadi Idris 32. Ustaz Mohamed Abdou

Contact Numbers:
C/ Ahmed Abdel Shafei Yagoub Basi Satellite No 008821651131140, Ustaz Babikir Mohamed Abdalla 008821633341564, Ustaz Mohei El Din Abdalla Abdel Gabbar 008821621344601, Ustaz Abdel Latif Abdalla Ismail Mobile Tel 00447850380180

Photo: Abdel Wahid Nur of the main rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), second right, together with members of his group walks out of the peace talks meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Friday, May, 5 2006. Sudan's government and the main Darfur rebel group signed a peace plan Friday, marking major progress in an internationally backed effort to end the death and destruction in western Sudan. Two rebel groups, though, rejected the accord backed by the African Union, United States, Britain, the European Union and the Arab League and skipped the signing ceremony in a hall at a Nigerian presidential villa. (AP Photo/George Osodi/Sudan Watch archive)