Minnawi Rebel Commanders Say They May Abandon Darfur Peace

This is lovely news isn’t it?

Grai Commanders from the only rebel group that signed a peace accord in May for Sudan’s Darfur region are prepared to resume fighting if African Union peacekeeping troops leave as scheduled at month’s end and are not replaced by a United Nations force, according to more than a dozen senior rebel officials interviewed Wednesday.

Since the peace accord was signed, rebel forces allied with Minnawi have been assisting in some government military operations, often providing crucial on-the-ground intelligence, but his commanders are increasingly reluctant to help.

The commanders interviewed Wednesday said they were so angry about recent attacks on civilians, including the bombing of villages by Antonov planes and rocket attacks by Mi-24 helicopter gunships, that they were prepared to abandon the peace deal. They said they would not be swayed even if Minnawi decided to keep his senior job with the government in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

Great! So if the UN doesn’t come, it will be war and if the UN does indeed come, it will be a bigger war.