Press Statement from JEM: Martyrdom of President of JEM and Supreme Commander of its Armed Forces, Dr. Khalil Ibrahim
4 min readOn Thursday, 23/12/2011, 3am, the President of JEM and Commander of JEM forces was killed by missiles discharged by unidentified planes.The accuracy of the missiles far exceeded familiar capabilities of the Khartoum government and was indicative of involvement of other parties.The action resulted in immediate death of Dr. Ibrahim and one of his bodyguards.
While declaring the martyrdom of it President, JEM takes this opportunity to offer its condolences to all Sudanese people and in particular, those who have been yearning for justice, whether in cities, towns, IDP or Refugee camps.Dr. Ibrahim will remain a symbol of resistance and inspiration for those who are struggling of a Sudan of
Justice, dignity and equality.
While mourning the heroic sacrifice and tragic loss of Dr. Ibrahim, JEM announces the following in no uncertain terms:
1 — That the blood of its leader will not go in vain and that those responsible for his death and indeed for death of many others will not go unpunished.
2 — JEM will continue its commitment to values laid down by its leader and will proceed with its struggle to build a Sudan of ethnic, cultural and religious diversity and a nation committed to democracy, respect of human rights and rule of law.
3 — JEM affirms its commitment to all agreements, protocols and conventions that it has signed with national and international partners.
4 — It equally affirms its commitment to the Sudanese revolutionary forces and in particular the Sudanese Revolutionary Front of Kauda.
5 — JEM pledges to coordinate and work with all political forces, civic organisations and youth and women bodies to topple the Khartoum Government.
6.In the shortest possible time, JEM will announce its administrative and political arrangements and will embark on military and political initiatives to the full satisfaction of all Sudanese people.
Gabriel Adam Bilal
Media and Spokesperson for JEM
London 25 December 2011
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Relatives of Darfurian JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim Confirm his Death | Radio Dabanga
Baroud Sandal, spokesman on behalf of the family, said the relatives are gathered today in the house of Ibrahim’s wife in Idd Hussein, Omdurman to mourn his death. He said he received a call from the field confirming that Khalil Ibrahim died yesterday on Saturday afternoon after sustaining fatal injuries. But he said the family did not receive any details.
Khalil Ibrahim was a Zaghawa (Kobe) living at the border area of East Chad and West Sudan in Darfur. He is considered an ally of the Islamist leader in Sudan, Hassan al Turabi.
Khalil Ibrahim was a physician who obtained a Master’s degree in public health at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands. He held several positions in the government in Darfur and in Khartoum. During the war with South Sudan he was appointed as a governor for the National Islamic Front in South Sudan, but was never sworn in. After Al Turabi was sidelined by President Omar al Bashir, he became involved in several rebel movements.
Attempts to form a united rebel army against the Khartoum government failed. The Zaghawa dominated JEM was never on speaking terms with the main stream SLM led by Abdel Wahid al Nur, who is a Fur leader currently in exile in Uganda. They also had different political opinions on a future state. Khalil Ibrahim never abandoned the Islamist movement, while Abdel Wahid explicitly wanted to establish a secular state. Khalil Ibrahim attacked Omdurman in the Spring of 2008. In the aftermath, thousands of Darfurians have been arrested on the streets of Khartoum, several never returned home and were alledgedly killed due to torture. After Khalil Ibrahim’s arrest in 2010 in Libya, he only could resume his attacks after the fall of Gaddafi in September 2011.
The exact location where Ibrahim Khalil was killed on Saturday is still unknown, as the battles took place at several locations including Um Gozen, Armel, Goz Ubyad and Wad Benjda areas of North Kordofan. The Sudanese army spokesman Alsoarma Khaled Saad said that the JEM was killing citizens. The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) were using heavy bombing. The JEM signed an agreement with the SPLM-North and rebel groups to form a Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF), but so far have only agreed on a joint political committee to topple the Khartoum government.
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