DARFUR: A FEW QUESTIONS

THE SUDANESE THINKER, a blog

1)

… what about the rebels? Who are their enablers? From where are they getting their financing? Which parties are providing it to them and why?

How can the rebels afford their ongoing war against al-Bashir’s NCP dominated Khartoum government? How can they afford their travel expenses in and out of European countries?

Certain groups are providing them with the financial means to do so. The question is who? Moreover and more importantly what is the agenda of those financiers? They certainly have one. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be financing Darfur’s rebels in the first place. In politics, nothing comes for free.

It’s known that Chad allegedly provides the rebels support. It’s also known that wealthy Darfurian businessmen overseas outside Sudan provide support too. What isn’t well known and focused on in the Western mainstream media however is the agenda of regime change some powerful groups have in mind. He has been fingered as an extremist; before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks Turabi often

Al-Bashir’s worries are not baseless. The United States and Israel did after all support the Southern Sudanese militarily and financially against the Northerners during the long and bloody Southern- Northern Sudanese civil war which raged on for more than 2 decades.

That shouldn’t come as a surprise. It was in their interests to destabalize a hostile regime.

Are Darfurian rebels receiving support from the United States ... directly or indirectly through neighbouring countries like Chad?

Professional journalists and the Western mainstream media should definitely dedicate more time to answering this question.

2)

Many aren’t aware of Dr Hasan al-Turabi's role in the Darfur conflict. The following are excerpts highlighting his involvement:

A charismatic college professor and former speaker of parliament, Turabi has long been one of Bashir’s main political rivals and an influential figure in Sudan. ... More recently, the United Nations and human rights experts have accused Turabi of backing one of Darfur’s key rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement, in which some of his top former students are leaders.

3)

Dr Khalil Ibrahim, (and here) a protege of Islamist hardliner Dr Hasan al-Turabi. Formed in November 2002, JEM is increasingly recognised as being part and parcel of Dr Turabi’s Popular Congress. Time magazine has described JEM as “a fiercely Islamic organisation said to be led by Hassan al-Turabi” and that Turabi’s ultimate goal is “the presidential palace in Khartoum and a stridently Islamic Sudan”.

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