Sudan:A leading member of one of Darfur's rebel groups sits on the advisory board of Irish Aid, the Government's overseas development division, The Irish Timeshas learned.
Abdullahi El-Tom, an academic at NUI Maynooth, is head of training and strategic planning for the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), one of two main rebel groups that have been fighting the Sudanese government in a conflict that has resulted in the deaths of more than 200,000 people.
The rebels took up arms in 2003, accusing Khartoum of marginalising Darfur. The Sudanese government responded by mobilising militias in a bid to quash the rebels.
JEM was involved in the recent clashes in neighbouring Chad, joining Chadian forces who were fighting rebels Chad says are backed by Sudan. Chad's president, Idriss Déby, has previously assisted JEM in its battle against Khartoum. Dr El-Tom is due to brief Irish troops before their deployment to Chad as part of an EU mission to protect Darfuri refugees and other civilians in the east of the country.
Dr El-Tom told The Irish Times he did not believe his position in JEM and work with Irish Aid constituted a conflict of interest, pointing out that neither Sudan nor Chad receive direct bilateral aid from Ireland.
"The money going to Sudan is going through third parties such as Irish NGOs. If people think my presence is causing any problem for [Irish Aid], I would be happy to step aside. I would have no problem with that."
From Darfur, Dr El-Tom has lived in Ireland since 1990. He is head of the department of anthropology at NUI Maynooth. He joined JEM in 2004, having earlier translated into English a manuscript known as The Black Book. This seminal work caused a sensation in Darfur when it was first published as it highlighted the disproportionate political control held by people from northern Sudan to the detriment of the rest of the country. Asked why he joined JEM, Dr El-Tom said: "I am from Darfur. My people were on the firing line."
The Irish Aid advisory board was established in 2002 to provide general oversight and advice to the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the strategic direction of the Government's programme of assistance to developing countries. The 16 board members are invited to serve for a three-year term by the Minister.
In a statement, the department said Dr El-Tom brings "his expertise as an anthropologist, expert in food security and as a senior academic of NUI Maynooth" to the board. It rejected any suggestion of a conflict of interest, adding that the issue of Chad or Darfur had not been discussed in detail by the board since Dr El-Tom's appointment in 2005.
"Even if it was," the statement continued, "it would be on the humanitarian issues on which there is broad consensus, rather than on the political situation which is not within the remit of the board."