Janjaweed leader calls for military action to protect Darfur peace

December 19, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — A former Janhaweed leader called for a military action to protect the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) in order to ensure its enforcement and end the over eight-year insurgency in western Sudan.

Musa Hilal, a notorious leader of the Arab Mahameed tribal clan in Darfur, was accused of committing atrocities against civilians during the counter-insurgency campaigns implemented by the Sudanese government during the years 20003-2005 in the region.

Musa who made a rare appearance at the headquarters of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) on Monday accused the holdout rebel groups of preparing a series of attacks in Darfur region in order to impede the implementation of the DDPD.

He said there is a need for a joint military action to establish the necessary conditions allowing to enforce the agreement and implement its outcome on the political, developmental and economic levels.

He further suggested that all the concerned parties including the former rebel groups who signed peace pacts with the government should agree on how to protect the DDPD in order to implement it fully.

Speaking to HRW in 2005, Hilal admitted recruiting Arab militia to fight rebel groups. The UN and the US government imposed financial sanctions and travel ban on him. But he was not named as war crime suspect by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The boss of Darfur hybrid peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) Ibrahim Gambari urged yesterday the international community to support the implementation of the Doha peace deal. His call came after a report by the Cease-fire Commission saying that the region witnessed a “considerable decrease” in clashes between the government and rebel groups.

The Sudanese army stated different times since last July, date of the DDPD’s signature, that it monitors rebels’ movement in the region. Also, Sudan and Chad agreed to foster their military cooperation to face any rebel activity seeking to disturb peace implementation in Darfur.

The government intends to organise a dialogue process and promote the voluntary return of displaced persons and refugees particularly in Chad.

The international stakeholders, who seek to convince the holdout rebels to join the Doha document, urged the Sudanese government to show more openness and flexibility with the insurgents and to avoid the repetition of heavy military attacks on their positions as it was the case after Abuja peace agreement signed in May 2006.

(ST)