Tinker tailor, soldier spy

Darfur's most popular opposition leader has come under intense fire for opening a representative office for his organisation in Israel, writes Gamal Nkrumah

---

Abdul-Wahid Nour, the leader of the main faction of the Sudan Liberation Army and reputedly one of the most popular political figures in Darfur, stands poised to set up a representative office for his movement in Israel. The news was first mooted in Sudanese and pan- Arab newspapers around the world, including London's pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat, one of the most influential Arabic language publications. Even his own tribesmen are uneasy about his daring move, the Sudanese media claims.

"Some of the Darfuris in refugee camps say that their own conditions are reminiscent of those of the Palestinians of Gaza. We are suffering from the similar oppressors. We cannot sympathise with Israel," the refugees were reported as saying by Al-Hayat.

Yet a closer look reveals big flaws in all these claims. It is easy to dismiss them as questions of all rhyme but no reason. There is already a large community of Darfuri refugees, political and economic migrants in Israel. Most of Israel's Darfur community arrived in the country via Egypt, an Arab country which maintains full diplomatic relations with Israel, the first Arab country to do so.

The celebrated Darfur politician is a canny lawyer who owes his political fame to standing up for his people's rights. He is reportedly the most popular leader among the Darfuri displaced population in refugee camps both in Darfur itself and in neighbouring Chad.

Dignified and efficient, Nour commands much respect from the people of Darfur, including his own ethnic Fur people after whom the war-torn province is named. The Fur, descendants of an ancient Muslim African kingdom were one of the first people in Africa south of the Sahara to embrace Islam wholeheartedly.

However, representatives and tribal leaders of 27 Darfur ethnic groups are meeting in the southern Darfur city of Nyala to discuss "Nour's betrayal of both the Darfur and Palestinian causes" and "unanimously denounce him as a traitor". Some of Nour's rivals see this as an opportune moment to resort to the quaint expedient of winning a political argument. They must seize the moment.

In a separate development, the Sudanese government has pledged to host 2,600 Palestinian refugees who are currently stranded between the Iraqi borders with Syria and Jordan. They have been rendered homeless after being forcibly evicted from Iraq in the aftermath of the demise of the former Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein. Many Sudanese feel strongly about supporting Palestinian rights, despite the increasing trickle of economic migrants from Darfur to Israel via Egypt.

Maybe they are hoping that Nour will slowly fade out into oblivion. His opponents have reacted angrily. Worse, even some of his own supporters are resentful of Nour's decision. Even if this furore blows over, things will not easily return to normal.

Some of the most ardent supporters of the Darfur cause are sceptical about the uproar. "I take it all with a pinch of salt," Alfred Taban told Al-Ahram Weekly. "Abdul-Wahid Nour is a lawyer, a seasoned politician, and I believe he would not risk alienating his large following unless he has their backing," Taban pointed out. The Fur people are among the most devout Muslims of Sudan," Taban extrapolated. "Now if he is indeed an Israeli agent, then his people would disown him," he added.

The Sudanese government has long insinuated that Nour is an agent of the Zionist lobby in the United States. Today he is being accused of being an agent of Israel," Taban explained. He insists that the entire brouhaha was contrived in order to tarnish Nour's image. "It is nothing short of character assassination," Taban insists.

"Even we, southern Sudanese, are mainly Christians, but we refuse to have direct dealings with Israel. Any southern Sudanese politicians seen to be too closely associated with Israel is automatically ostracised by his own people," Taban insisted.

But that defence of Nour's decision was rejected. Grumbling is getting louder, bickering intensifying and divisions have not served the Darfur cause well. His rivals are competing hard for leadership. Is Nour an African lion that has lost his roar? Perhaps it is a question of playing to his own strengths.

Does this mean Nour is on the skids? It will take time for confidence and trust to be rebuilt. It is easy to see why.

True to form, Nour far from dispelling the latest allegations, actually confirmed them.

"Yes, we, the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), have established a representative office in Israel. It is our people in Israel who have decided that they need a centre in the country to organise their activities, coordinate the resolution of problems and challenges with the Israeli authorities and advance the interests of the sons and daughters of Darfur in Israel," Nour told the Weekly.

The reason for the mayhem was Nour's heavy hint that there was nothing fundamentally wrong with establishing a representative office to cater for the needs of his people in Israel.

He does so in a reassuring tone of voice. "Some Arab countries have secret relations with Israel, ours are out in the open. It is an absolute necessity for our people in Israel. We must be free of taboos, especially hypocritical ones," Nour told the Weekly. "Our people in Israel opened an office, we had no other option but to back them. We are a democratic organisation with values, chief among these are an abhorrence of hatred," he added.

Still Nour has quite a following. And they don't want Nour's reputation as one of the political heavyweights of Darfur to be dispelled.

Easy as it is to excoriate him, this particular Darfur leader is not as politically naïve as his detractors make out. "I am no agent of anyone, and certainly not the Israelis."

His friends, whoever they might be, might well take it for a spoof. Nour is a man of principle and a well-known code of ethics, say his fans. Nour denies that his decision would fuel more killing and instability in Darfur. Indeed, Nour's detractors' guile may not work after all. In fact, it might rebound on them. Politicians should not skate over risks, and especially not in Africa.