SLM Targeting Government Airports In Darfur

23 February 2011 – (Khartoum/Darfur) – The Sudan Liberation Movement, Minnawi’s faction warned that all government-run airports in Darfur are strategic military targets.

In a statement released on 20th February the movement said that its targeting government run airports because they are allegedly being used to transport weapons and commit atrocities against civilians in Darfur.

The movement warned NGO’s to keep off the airports to avoid being victims.

The legal advisor of SLM Minnawi’s faction Abdul-Aziz Sam spoke to SRS on Monday from Darfur.

[Abdul-Aziz Sam]: “Faced with painful injustice and reality, the SLM justifiably protects itself and the people of Darfur. And the only manner for doing this is to destroy enemy positions. It would like to warn the widespread UNAMID force in Darfur and the United Nations Mission in Sudan and the humanitarian organizations working in Darfur region to stay away from government airports wherever they are in Darfur because it has become a strategic military target for the S-L-M forces and different faction forces.”
Speaking to Sudan Radio Service on Tuesday by phone from Khartoum, SAF spokesperson, Alsawarmi Khalid termed the SLM’s Statement as a normal threat that can never be executed.

[Alsawarmi Khalid]: “This is not a new thing, it is just for formalities. This move has been used before by the Justice and Equality Movement, and S-L-M Abdulwahid’s faction. And all other anti-government groups threatened the same way. However they don’t have the capability to execute this. We know Minnawi’s movement is a weak movement even strategically, it can’t carry positive moves.”

The head of UNAMID, Ibrahim Gambari on Tuesday warned the SLM of grave consequences on any of its actions that can prevent humanitarian aid from reaching the civilians in Darfur.