Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) - Over 200 people have died in the attack led by the JEM (Justice and Equality Movement) in Omdurman, twin city of Khartoum (see Fides 12/5/2008). This fact was made public by Sudanese authorities. An initial assessment published in the local daily paper the “Sudan Times” reported the death of 400 rebels and 100 soldiers, however there was never an official confirmation.
While the army is on the hunt for the JEM group responsible for the attack, the government in Khartoum accuses various other governments of having financed and supported the rebel activity. Some members of the Sudanese government, in addition to accusing Chad, have also accused Libya (although it too has condemned the JEM’s attack), France (who had supposedly provided the rebels with satellite photos in order to facilitate their movement in the desert, avoiding the army’s interception), and Israel (that according to President Omar al-Bashir, had financed the operation). All are accusations that are still left to be proven, even if various analysts concede that the JEM did indeed receive foreign aid.
An in-depth analysis has been performed by Alex de Waal, an expert on Sudan, who claims that the attack is fruit of the person of Khalil Ibrahim, JEM’s leader. According to Waal, Ibrahim was convinced he could take control of Khartoum, thanks to the population that is against the regime. Therefore, it would be an act solely performed by JEM, without the help of other armed factions that are opposed to the government in Sudan and without the support of important sectors within military ranks. This is an act that, according to Waal, would not be supported by the President of Chad, Idriss Deby, who would have tried to dissuade Ibrahim from performing the attack. However, he must have received support from some important members of Chad’s regime. President Deby remains faithful to respecting the accord that was recently signed between the two countries, in Dakar (Senegal) (see Fides 14/3/2008), which calls for an end to the support of rebel forces of either party.
Another interpretation says that the regime in Kharotoum will take advantage of the JEM attack in order to impose a radical change in the opposition. Following the attack, the military proceeded to arrest hundreds of people in the capital. Thus, they would have allowed the rebels come in, in order to destroy them and begin the repression in Khartoum and its surroundings. A similar situation also occurred in Chad’s capital city of N’Djamena, following the attack of rebel groups that local authorities claimed were supported by Sudan. (see Fides 4/2/2008) (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 14/5/2008 righe 30, parole 430)
