Darfur tribal militias to be disarmed soon: Sudan’s defence minister
October 28, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s defence minister Awad Ibn Auf said the government is determined to disarm tribal militias in Darfur dismissing the possibility of stripping the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) forces of its weapons.
He pointed to coordination among the armed forces, police, NISS and other executive organs to carry out the disarmament campaign on the ground, saying that a well trained military buffer force is ready to separate between the warring tribes in Darfur.
In line with the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), the government has to disarm tribesmen. But as many of them are part of the government militias, Khartoum always argues that the persistence of holdout rebels prevents the full implementation of this measure.
Tribal fighting has intensified during the last two years in Darfur region in western Sudan leading to thousands of dead and injured and forcing over 300,000 people to flee their homes. Fighting is triggered mainly by disputes over land ownership and pasture rights.
SUDAN-SOUTH SUDAN SECURITY COMMITTEE
The defence minister also announced that the joint Sudanese and South Sudanese security committee will meet on Khartoum on November 16 th to discuss the outstanding issues between the two countries.
He said that the two sides have agreed to determine the safe demilitarized border zone by identifying the zero line.
In line with the cooperation agreement of 27 September 2012, the buffer zone will cover 10km along either side of a centre line. A joint force, including peacekeepers from the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS), had been deployed to monitor the SDBZ, but on 22 November 2013 Juba withdrew its forces and the border force was suspended.
The purpose of the joint border verification mission is to prevent cross border attacks by rebel from both sides. The mission also has to investigate allegations of support to rebel groups.
TROOPS IN YEMEN
Meanwhile, the defence minister denied that the Sudanese troops in Yemen have been attacked, saying the armed forces is part of the state and has its own opinion on the successes and failures on its experience.
Last Friday, al-Mashhad al-Yemeni newspaper reported that twelve soldiers were killed in a suicide attack against the headquarters of the Sudanese troops near Aden airport in southern Yemen.
Since mid-October, around 850 Sudanese soldiers had arrived in Yemen to join the Saudi-led coalition against the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi militants.
(ST)