Darfur rebels convicted of murder executed

On Sunday, the management of the federal Kober prison in Khartoum North carried-out the death penalty of two rebels, accused of killing Chinese workers in West Kordofan. The members of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) were sentenced to death on charges of murdering the five Chinese who were working at the Abu Dafra oil field in West Kordofan in 2008. 17 others were acquitted. On 18 October 2008, a group of 35 JEM rebels kidnapped nine Chinese oil workers and a Sudanese driver at the Abu Dafra oil field. The bodies of five orkers were found a few days later. JEM strongly condemned the execution of the “freedom fighters” in Kober prison, stressing that “no JEM combatant had anything to do with the assassination of the Chinese in Abu Dafra”.   Jibril Adam Bilal, the spokesman for the movement, told Radio Dabanga that the trial, in which the two were convicted, was politically motivated. “It was directed by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), and has nothing to do with the judiciary in the country.” He stressed the need to investigate and document “this crime committed against innocent people” by human rights organisations. File photo: Sudanese prisoner sentenced to death (hurriyetsudan)

On Sunday, the management of the federal Kober prison in Khartoum North carried-out the death penalty of two rebels, accused of killing Chinese workers in West Kordofan.

The members of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) were sentenced to death on charges of murdering the five Chinese who were working at the Abu Dafra oil field in West Kordofan in 2008. 17 others were acquitted.

On 18 October 2008, a group of 35 JEM rebels kidnapped nine Chinese oil workers and a Sudanese driver at the Abu Dafra oil field. The bodies of five orkers were found a few days later.

JEM strongly condemned the execution of the “freedom fighters” in Kober prison, stressing that “no JEM combatant had anything to do with the assassination of the Chinese in Abu Dafra”.  

Jibril Adam Bilal, the spokesman for the movement, told Radio Dabanga that the trial, in which the two were convicted, was politically motivated. “It was directed by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), and has nothing to do with the judiciary in the country.”

He stressed the need to investigate and document “this crime committed against innocent people” by human rights organisations.

File photo: Sudanese prisoner sentenced to death (hurriyetsudan)