East Darfur collects 10,000 illicit weapons: governor

February 12, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The government of East Darfur State said it has collected 10,000 illicit weapons during the past months stressing it doesn’t face any serious security threats.

Governor of East Darfur Anas Omer said the illegal weapons have been collected during the ongoing disarmament campaign, adding the campaign has contributed to lowering crime rate according to the police records and reports.

He pointed out that the military forces are present across the state, saying the disarmament campaign would continue in order to maintain security and stability that has been achieved through the concerted popular and official efforts.

In August 2017, the Sudanese authorities launched a six-month disarmament campaign to eliminate illegal weapons in the conflict-affected areas in Sudan, particularly in Darfur region.

The Sudanese authorities say the spread of weapons among the rival tribes in the region is one of the main causes of Darfur’s instability.

The official statements say 30,000 arms have been collected in the five states of Darfur region during the voluntary process which started in August, while official figures estimate at 700,000 the number of illegal weapons in Darfur.

(ST)