Sudan Arabs reject marauding “Janjaweed” image
By Nima Elbagir
KALA, Sudan, July 12 (Reuters) – Janjaweed has become a dirty word, a term used for Sudanese Arab militias widely blamed for devastating violence against black compatriots.
In this village in Sudan’s western Darfur region, which the United Nations says is suffering the world’s worst current humanitarian disaster, Arab tribesmen say they have been unfairly branded as “ogres”.
“Janjaweed is an insult,” said tribal leader Musa Hilal, one of the men the United States had in mind for a travel ban against those it says are Janjaweed generals.
Local Arabs said they fought black African Sudanese rebels only in self defence, and said atrocities attributed to Arab tribes were the work of a minority.
Darfur Africans have blamed mounted Arab fighters for violence that humanitarian officials say has made one million people in Darfur homeless. Up to 30,000 people are estimated to have died.
Two main African rebel groups in Darfur rose up last year against what they said was official neglect and the government’s arming of the Arab tribes they say burnt and looted their homes and have been driving them out.
Sitting in the shade of trees amid fields made lush by seasonal rains, Hilal says the word Janjaweed describes thieves and bandits and some local African tribes have misused it to cover all Arabs in Darfur.
REBELS AND CRIMINALS
In the village of mud brick houses where both Africans and Arabs live, 240 km (150 miles) east of North Darfur’s capital El Fasher, he said Arabs had responded only to rebel attacks.
Talking to Reuters during a visit by reporters to the area, he said: “They rebelled, threatened us, tried to sow discord between us … we retaliated, and we are criminals?”
Rebels, human rights groups and witnesses have said Arab tribesmen mounted on camels and horseback and wielding rifles have killed villagers, raped women, raided livestock and burnt homes.
Tribesmen in Kala, where camels are bred and traded as the main livestock, say a minority of “criminals” are responsible for the atrocities.
“In every tribe there are criminal elements. Our tribes are no different,” said 68-year-old Hassan al-Tijani.
“There are people who took advantage of the conflict to loot and burn and do what they wanted.”
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan secured a promise from Sudan’s leaders to disarm Arab militias during a visit to Africa’s largest country early this month.
Hilal says disarmament has to be done through the area’s leadership.
“There has to be a call to all the (tribal Arab and African) leadership and they must be involved in the disarmament. Each leader must be responsible for those of his who have stepped outside the law,” he said.
Tribesman Mohamed Issa said he was ready to lay down his arms under the right conditions.
“We want security. If the government can’t protect us, we protect ourselves. But if the rebels hand in their weapons we will hand ours in,” he said.