Sudan’s president says militias can be controlled in Darfur

CAIRO, Aug 13 (AFP) — The marauding pro-government Janjaweed militias whose alleged atrocities in Sudan’s western Darfur region have put Khartoum under international pressure can be reined in, President Omar al-Beshir said in an interview broadcast Friday.

“If there are any groups belonging to the armed forces or who have been given weapons, they can be controlled at any time and their weapons can be reined in,” Beshir told CNN.

On Tuesday, the Sudanese government and the United Nations agreed on a plan of action giving Khartoum 30 days to create safe areas for civilians in Darfur and disarm the militias.

Khartoum has come under considerable international pressure recently over the Darfur crisis and several international organisations and governments have accused it of failing to crack down on the Janjaweed.

Beshir also claimed there were different ways to interpret the word “Janjaweed” — an Arabic acronym which roughly means “men who ride horses and carry G3 guns,” referring to a German-made automatic rifle.

“If by Janjaweed you mean those people outside the law, those who break the law, those who commit crimes, then we are against them and the police are now going after them, and chasing them and arresting them and presenting to face the courts,” he said.

These horse-riding bandits are the only ones Sudan’s government calls Janjaweed.

“There are militias who are linked to tribes that are not under the control of the government and the weapons that they have, have made it to Darfur and are not weapons that the government issued,” Beshir said.

These militias are never referred to by Khartoum as Janjaweed. Foreign reports have included both categories in their definition of the term.

Beshir also stressed his opposition to the deployment of any foreign troops in Darfur.

“We are not willing to accept any foreign forces, because honestly foreign forces will only complicate the situation,” he warned.

On Saturday, the first half of a 300-strong African force will be airlifted to the crisis-ridden area but it is tasked solely with protecting a team of observers monitoring a ceasefire between Khartoum and the rebels which has been repeatedly violated since its signing in April.

African mediators are struggling to negotiate an end to the armed conflict and humanitarian crisis in Darfur, where fighting since early 2003 has already claimed between 30,000 and 50,000 lives according to the United Nations.