Darfur rebels threaten to quit peace accord

EL FASHER – The only rebel leader to have endorsed the Darfur Peace Agreement threatened to pull out of the deal geared at ending three years of war if the international community does not move to support him fast.

Minni Minnawi, who heads the Sudan Liberation Movement, was the only one of three rebellion leaders to sign the peace deal last month with the Sudanese government. “The responsibility for the peace cannot remain on my sole shoulders,” Minnawi said in an Associated Press interview late on Friday.He warned that the peace agreement could “collapse soon” if the international community failed to send a United Nations peacekeeping force to this remote region of western Sudan.”If I don’t see support from the international community, I will return to the bush and the fighting will continue,” Minnawi said.He declined to specify when this could occur.He accused the government of neighbouring Chad of supporting the Darfur rebel groups that refused the peace deal and attack his troops since.”The (Sudanese) government, all the embassies in Khartoum, have evidence that Chad is sending funds, equipment and troops to north Darfur, it is unacceptable,” Minnawi said.More than 180 000 people have died and over 2,5 million been displaced in the Darfur conflict, which broke out in 2003 between rebel groups and pro-government forces and has been described as the worst current humanitarian crisis.The peace deal signed May 5 between Minnawi and Khartoum plans for a complete ceasefire between rebels and government forces – including a pro-government militia of Arab nomads known as the Janjaweed that is blamed for most of the atrocities against ethnic African villagers.Dissident SLM leader Abdelwahid Elnur – along with the Justice and Equality Movement, another guerrilla group – refused to sign the accord, saying it did not fairly compensate refugees.- Nampa-AP”The responsibility for the peace cannot remain on my sole shoulders,” Minnawi said in an Associated Press interview late on Friday.He warned that the peace agreement could “collapse soon” if the international community failed to send a United Nations peacekeeping force to this remote region of western Sudan.”If I don’t see support from the international community, I will return to the bush and the fighting will continue,” Minnawi said.He declined to specify when this could occur.He accused the government of neighbouring Chad of supporting the Darfur rebel groups that refused the peace deal and attack his troops since.”The (Sudanese) government, all the embassies in Khartoum, have evidence that Chad is sending funds, equipment and troops to north Darfur, it is unacceptable,” Minnawi said.More than 180 000 people have died and over 2,5 million been displaced in the Darfur conflict, which broke out in 2003 between rebel groups and pro-government forces and has been described as the worst current humanitarian crisis.The peace deal signed May 5 between Minnawi and Khartoum plans for a complete ceasefire between rebels and government forces – including a pro-government militia of Arab nomads known as the Janjaweed that is blamed for most of the atrocities against ethnic African villagers.Dissident SLM leader Abdelwahid Elnur – along with the Justice and Equality Movement, another guerrilla group – refused to sign the accord, saying it did not fairly compensate refugees. – Nampa-AP