Sudanese government collects weapons in Darfur

KHARTOUM, Feb 28 (AFP) — The government has collected 3,000 weapons from civilians in South Darfur State, a region of western Sudan where civil war has raged for two years, the local governor said in remarks published Monday.

Al-Hajj Atta al-Mannan told the government-sponsored Sudanese Media Center that the weapons had been collected mainly from members of the Zaghwah, Bergu and Maalia tribes in southern Darfur.

“A large number of arms is expected to be collected over the next two days,” the governor said, without specifying whether pro-government Arab militias would also be disarmed.

The tribes he cited are mainly black African farming communities supporting the rebels who launched an uprising in February 2003 to protest against their marginalisation in the Sudanese state.

The rebellion, its fierce repression by government forces and Arab auxiliaries, and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis have since left more than 1.6 million people displaced and tens of thousands dead.

The United States and the international community have repeatedly called on Khartoum to disarm its militias — who are accused of genocide in Darfur — and to protect civilians.

Washington on Friday renewed its “grave concerns” over violence in Darfur and warned it would not fully normalise ties with Khartoum until the conflict was resolved.