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Egyptian Government Accuses Darfur Rebels by Kidnaping Tourists
September 23, 2008
Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy is appalled at the allegations made against the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA) and the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) by the Egyptian government who accused them of kidnapping nineteen tourists and Egyptians and taking them towards the Sudanese territory. We fail to see what motives SLA and JEM would have behind doing such a thing and how it would even be possible for them to commit this act. Egypt has guards all around their border so not only would it be almost impossible for the SLA or members of JEM to get into Egypt but then to kidnap nineteen tourists would be out of the question. It would serve them no purpose to go through all this trouble to force tourists to come to Sudan. And they would not be able to get passed all the guards safely.
Damanga feels that it is a conspiracy by the Egyptian government who supports Omar Al Bashir, the government of Sudan. We believe they are working together to blame the SLA And JEM for something they set up themselves. If SLA can not even get to the Sudanese leaders, how would it be possible for them to get to Egypt? If these Darfuri factions were this advanced that they could reach Egypt when ever they wanted to, then why would they not go after their enemy, the Sudanese government officials and Janjaweed Arab leaders first? We believe that JEM and SLA's mission is to stand for the people of Sudan and against its government. They do not have any intentions to harm innocent Egyptians. Mahgoub Hussein, who is a London-based spokesman for a key faction of the Darfur rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), told a news source that "none of his fighters were involved." He continued by saying, "This is a bandit act. We are fighting against the government, not against tourists." It is just hard to believe that something like this could happen. In conclusion, Damanga would like to encourage everyone to disregard these bogus allegations against the SLA and JEM, and ask that we focus on the real issue, which is saving Darfur, from the murderous hands of it own government.
UPDATE 09/30/08
Freed European, Egyptian Hostages Contradict Government Tale of Rescue |
