Sudan accuses Uganda of supporting Darfur rebels
By Dennis Otim 23rd–29th Aug 2010
Sudan's JEM Rebels
The government of Sudan has once again accused Yoweri Museveni’s government of supporting anti-Khartoum rebels. The diplomatically explosive accusations were contained in the pro-government Sudanese news paper Akhir Lahzah of August 16th 2010.
According to the report, the Sudanese armed forces in particular, warned Uganda against extending any form of support to the Darfur based Justice and Equality Movement [JEM] rebel group; arguing that such a move by Uganda “…would lead to a loss of trust” between the two neighbouring States supported each other’s opponents for a long time in the past.
The Sudanese armed forces spokesman Al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa’ad affirmed that the Sudanese government had not in recent months backed any elements opposed to the Ugandan government. He also pointed out that supporting any illegitimate quarters in any African State would have adverse effects on the continent’s security situation.
Relations between Uganda and Sudan were however beginning to normalise. The fear therefore is that all that could go up in smoke if these latest allegations by Sudan are proved to be true. A source close to the Sudanese intelligence community who talked to Uganda Correspondent’s Nairobi based associate reporter on condition of strict anonymity said Sudan was indeed worried that Uganda may have resumed what he called “unhealthy contacts” with anti-Sudan rebels.
“Our intelligence followed two middle aged Ugandan intelligence operatives who entered Sudan as researchers going to work in the IDP camps of Darfur. They stayed in Khartoum for a few days before going to Darfur where we are told they made unhealthy contacts with some elements from JEM”; said the source.
According to some analysts, just as it had been between Sudan and Uganda, Sudan and Chad had at some point supported each other’s political and armed opponent. The anti-Khartoum Justice and Equality Movement rebel group operated from Chad for a long time until Chad and Sudan mended their security and diplomatic relations recently.
That cessation of hostilities deal resulted in JEM being forced to leave Chad. That, according to analysts, left the rebel group with no option but to return to the volatile Darfur region of Sudan from where they allegedly made contact with the government of Uganda with a view to convincing Uganda to support their cause. By the time Uganda Correspondent went to press, an email request for comment sent to Uganda Media Centre had remained unanswered.
