Doha civil society participants withdraw for 2nd time

Refugees and displaced people participating in the civil society conference in Doha withdrew for the second time yesterday from participation in the sessions of the conference, which is expected to finish tomorrow. The refugees and displaced people said that the reason of the withdrawal was what they called ‘pre-cooked’ result of the conference. They said they were divided into committees and made to consider prepared papers they had never before seen. Sheikh Dahiya Idriss Khamis, a member of refugees’ delegate and the head of Bergen camp in eastern Chad, told Radio Dabanga that they refuse the processes of being divided into committees because most of the participants have been chosen by the National Congress party and have already stated their opinion.

Refugees and displaced people participating in the civil society conference in Doha withdrew for the second time yesterday from participation in the sessions of the conference, which is expected to finish tomorrow. The refugees and displaced people said that the reason of the withdrawal was what they called ‘pre-cooked’ result of the conference. They said they were divided into committees and made to consider prepared papers they had never before seen. Sheikh Dahiya Idriss Khamis, a member of refugees’ delegate and the head of Bergen camp in eastern Chad, told Radio Dabanga that they refuse the processes of being divided into committees because most of the participants have been chosen by the National Congress party and have already stated their opinion.The displaced people and refugees had withdrawn for the first time on Friday because of the arrest of five of the leading delegates of the displaced people in Nyala Airport. The delegates who made it to Doha insisted on not participating until their comrades were released and brought to Doha, a condition that was fulfilled. Sheikh Dahiya told Radio Dabanga that they met the day before yesterday with Dr. El Tijani Sese, the head of the Liberation and Justice Movement. The sheikh said they disagreed with Sese on the issue of compensations. Sheikh Dahiya said that they have informed Sese that they, as refugees, are against an individual movement signing an agreement with the government and if he, Sese, signs alone, he should bear the consequences