Suleiman Sandal, a leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) yesterday revealed more details about the assassination of JEM head Khalil Ibrahim.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Radio Dabanga, Sandal said that Khalil Ibrahim was killed on Friday morning at 3am by aerial bombardment whilst sleeping in his vehicle.<\/p>\n
He was not killed by clashes between the government forces and JEM.<\/p>\n
Sandal was 20 meters away when the incident happened.<\/p>\n
He stated that the government forces reportedly released flares to locate Khalil Ibrahim, and then dropped three shells on the vehicle he was sleeping in, immediately killing him and one of his bodyguards, named Abdallah. A second vehicle was also destroyed.<\/p>\n
Sandal didn\u2019t mention the location where the JEM leader was killed for security reasons.<\/p>\n
He accused regional and international actors for colluding and conspiring with the Sudanese government to provide advanced technological support and the intelligence means to carry out such an attack.<\/p>\n
Reactions<\/strong><\/p>\n Omda<\/em> Ahmed Ateem, community leader and coordinator of the North Darfur camps for the displaced, said that “the displaced are very sad about the assassination of Khalil Ibrahim. This is a blow for the nation and those marginalised and oppressed”.<\/p>\n Head of a Sudanese Liberation Movement breakaway faction, Minni Minawi, called for an international investigation of the killing, adding that “this will not help the peace process in Darfur, but deepen the crisis”.<\/p>\n Minnawi said that all armed groups aimed to achieve peace and stability, but the National Congress Party only wanted war.<\/p>\n The Sudan Liberation Army faction led by Abdelwahid Nur said they were mourning his death as “Khalil Ibrahim was a truthful partner and loyal to finding a solution for the problems in Darfur and Sudan”.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the Sudan People\u2019s Liberation Movement called the late JEM leader “a hero” and said his death will “increase the resolve of the revolutionaries to continue to fight and work together to topple the regime of the National Congress Party in Khartoum”.<\/p>\n