International Reactions to May 10 Rebel Attack:

Arab League

• In a meeting held on Monday, May 12 at the ministerial level, the Arab League Council condemned the surge on Khartoum led by the rebel Justice and Equality Movement as a "terrorist" attack aimed at destabilizing Sudan.
  • The Arab League Council further called on the Secretary-General Amr Musa to follow up the recent developments in Sudan. The council called on Sudan’s neighbors to respect the sovereignty of a fellow Arab country.
  • Arab ministers also urged the AL Secretary-General to make immediate contact with the Chairman of the African Union to establish a joint Arab-African initiative in support of the observance of the principles of good neighborliness and stability throughout the region.
  • The Arab ministers called on the UN Security Council to take the necessary measures to impose appropriate sanctions on any armed movements that threaten peace and security in Sudan, the stability of the region, and aim to hamper the peace process in Darfur.
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US Government

• The White House said it was "very concerned" about the violence and urged both the Darfur rebels and government forces to cease hostilities. (Link)
• The United States condemns the recent attack by Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) forces in the area of Omdurman, near Khartoum. We call for an immediate end to fighting. These actions undermine the ongoing efforts of the international community to support resolution of the conflicts in Sudan. The United States implores both JEM and the Government of Sudan to guard against attacks against civilians in Omdurman and Darfur, and warns both sides against taking any retaliatory action based on ethnicity or tribe. (Sean McCormack, Spokesman)

Organization of Islamic Conference

• The Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, condemned the attack carried out yesterday by the armed rebels of the Justice and Equality Movement in the Darfur region against the cities of Kardafan and Um Durman, and appealed to the Sudanese to shun violence and adopt dialogue as a means of solving differences.
  • Ihsanoglu expressed his regret over the fall of civilian victims, calling for a prompt resolution to the Darfur crisis which, unless resolved, will always be a source of conflict.
  • An OIC monitoring team, in the Libyan capital Tripoli, continues in the its efforts to coordinate with the different parties in order to narrow differences and to find ways and means to help the political parties reach a common ground on the contentious issues in the region.
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Government of South Sudan

• The first Vice President of the Republic and president of the government of southern Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit said the attacking forces of Justice and Equality movement (JEM) have been repulsed and the general situation in Khartoum is being controlled by Sudanese security forces.
  • Kiir strongly condemned the attack on Khartoum and said the Darfur issue is political and must be solved through peaceful means. The SPLM has undertaken efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict.
  • While in Khartoum, Kiir said the presidency met to address the appalling security situation and held a series of meetings with concerned authorities, including the National Security Council, to review the security situation in and around Khartoum.
  • He added that strong security measures have been put in place to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.
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European Union

• The European Union’s foreign policy chief condemned the attack on the Sudanese capital by Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and called on Sudan to use self- restraint.
  • Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), condemned the attack on Ondurman made by JEM in a statement issued on Sunday. He further recalled that "there can be no military solution to the crisis in Darfur, in particular, nor to the problems of Sudan, in general."
  • He also urged the Sudanese government to exert maximum restraint in the coming days, particularly in regard to the civilian population of the capital, which has become the primary victim of this new surge of violence.
  • Solana said the latest events should provide an opportunity to reactivate efforts and generate new energy to find a peaceful solution to the Darfur crisis, and should reinforce the necessity of an accelerated and effective deployment of hybrid peacekeeping force in the troubled Darfur.
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Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

• The Secretary-General has expressed his grave concern at the outbreak of fighting on the outskirts of Khartoum as a result of the reported attacks by Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) forces against the capital.
  • He condemns strongly the use of armed force and military means by JEM for the achievement of political ends and calls for an immediate cessation of fighting and a renewed commitment to a peaceful resolution of outstanding issues.
  • The Secretary-General has expressed his anxiety at the effect they would have on the overall situation in Sudan, as well as on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and Darfur Agreement, and at the possible effect on civilian lives and property of any escalation of such attack.
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