( CNN ) -- The selection of a Sudanese military commander to head the Arab League monitoring mission in Syria is a `` farce '' because of his government 's actions in the embattled Darfur region , a Syrian opposition group said Wednesday . Lt. Gen. Mohamed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi has been named to chair the monitoring mission , designed to see whether the Bashar al-Assad regime is taking appropriate measures to end more than nine months of civil strife across the country . Al-Dabi and his monitoring team arrived in the Syrian city of Homs on Tuesday , and the observers were fanning out to other trouble spots Wednesday , including Idlib , Daraa and Hama . The objections to al-Dabi 's presence appeared in a statement from the Doctors Local Committee in Damascus . The remarks showed up in a post on the website of the Local Coordinating Committees of Syria , a major opposition activist network . `` The appointment of al-Dabi taints the Arab League 's efforts and characterizes it as nothing more than a political farce , causing little help but much harm to the situation in Syria . We call for a fair , independent observer mission to be allowed full and unrestricted access to all areas of Syria . It would be more appropriate , in our view , in the circumstances of the current conflict , for the United Nations to be mandated to conduct the monitoring mission , '' the statement said . Rebels in Darfur have fought government forces and allied militiamen , such as the Janjaweed , since 2003 . The United Nations reported as many as 300,000 people were killed and there has been widespread displacement over the years in Darfur , located in western Sudan . The International Criminal Court , investigating genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur , issued arrest warrants for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir , then-government minister Ahmed Harun , Janjaweed leader Ali Kushayb , and Defense Minister Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein . It issued summonses to appear for Abdallah Banda and Saleh Jerbo , two rebel leaders accused of spearheading an attack that killed 12 African Union peacekeepers . An Arab League source told CNN that the claims against al-Dabi `` come with no evidence. `` But the Syrian opposition statement said al-Dabi was a director of Sudan 's military intelligence `` during the early years '' of al-Bashir 's `` salvation regime . '' `` He was later appointed as head of Foreign Intelligence before he returned in 1996 to the military as the Deputy Chief of General Staff . It was during this time that Al-Dabi is accused of allowing or at the very least , turning a blind eye , to mass atrocities being committed in Darfur , '' the statement said . `` Although not the subject of an investigation by the International Criminal Court in The Hague , his role as the deputy head of Foreign Intelligence , raises questions as to his knowledge of mass atrocities in Darfur and consequently his role as the head of an investigative commission tasked with identifying whether the al-Assad regime is responsible for committing crimes against humanity . '' The opposition movement says there is widespread `` incredulity '' and `` condemnation '' over the appointment because of his roles in Sudan . `` Al-Dabi is now tasked with probing war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed against Syria victims . It is enough that the Syrian victims have had to wait this long for an observer mission , with calls being made as early as April 2011 . Now over 30 of the members of the Arab League observer mission are of Sudanese origin , '' the statement said . Abdel Karim Rihawi , the head of Syrian Human Rights League based in Cairo , also complained to the Arab League about al-Dabi and the Darfur connection . `` This is not acceptable and could jeopardize the credibility of the mission and its role , '' Rihawi said . The Enough Project , a group devoted to fighting genocide and crimes against humanity and focused on crises in several African nations , has called the choice `` perplexing . '' `` When he served as Sudan 's former head of Military Intelligence and when he oversaw implementation of the Darfur Security Arrangement , alleged war crimes including genocide were committed on his watch , '' Enough Project Sudan analyst Omer Ismail said last week . `` Instead of heading a team entrusted with a probe of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by Syria , the general should be investigated by the ICC for evidence of similar crimes in Sudan . '' Journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy contributed to this report .
NEW : An Arab League source says the claims `` come with no evidence '' The ICC has issued warrants for some African , including the president . ICC called the choice of Al-Dabi perplexing ' al-Dabi ' is accused of `` turning a blind eye '' to Damascus .