Former rebels request more time to withdraw fighters outside Darfur cities

February 19, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – A peace signatory group, The Third Front, Tamazug, requested an additional time to withdraw its fighters from the main cities, as part of the government’s efforts to end the insecurity and looting attacks in the Darfur region.

On February 3, the Joint High Committee for Security Arrangements in a meeting chaired by Lt Gen al-Burhan in El-Fasher decided to gather all the forces of the peace signatory groups in cantonment sites located outside the cities.

The decision was taken after several attacks by armed elements on the former UNAMID sites and WFP warehouses in the capital of North Darfur.

However, two groups targeted by the decision, Tamazug and Sudanese Alliance, did not implement it due to the lack of logistical means.

The Sudan Tribune learnt that Tamazug requested more time until next Tuesday to move its combatants to the cantonment sites outside the cities.

The Joint Military Committee is considering Tamazug’s request to delay the deadline and other requests for logistical support that the government pledged to provide to all the armed groups to move their forces to cantonment sites.

Tamazug leader Mohamed Ali Querashi told Sudan Tribune they support the withdrawal of troops out of the cities

Querashi stressed that the implementation of the decision requires that gathering camps be prepared to receive the fighters and to respond to the “demands of the movement’s leaders”.

“We protested that we were not involved in the meeting of the Higher Committee for Security Arrangements, which was held in El-Fasher in early February so that we could discuss the matter within the meeting,” he added.

At the time, the group issued a statement to protest the exclusion from the meeting.

Tamazug was unknown before the Juba peace process. The group is formed by people from the areas bordering South Sudan in Kordofan and Darfur regions.

The government delays the implementation of the security arrangements pointing to the lack of money.

(ST)