Sudanese forces, UNAMID conduct joint weapons search in C. Darfur camp

November 16, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Central Darfur authorities and Darfur hybrid peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) Thursday conducted a joint weapons search operation in a camp for displaced persons near the state capital Zalingei.

“The state government coordinated with IDPs local leaders, UNAMID forces and humanitarian organizations conducted a weapons search campaign inside Al-Hamidiya camp,” said Abdallah Issa IPDs coordinator in Central Darfur,

“The Joint Commission reached the conviction that there is no weapons or armed men among the displaced people residing in the camp,” he further told Sudan Tribune after the operation.

Earlier this week, the UNAMID head discussed with the vice-president ways to implement the weapon search operations within the framework of the ongoing weapon collect campaign which has entered its forcible phase.

The meeting came after calls by the hybrid officials for a collaborative approach in the conduct of the arms collection campaign inside the camps.

Issa said the search operation was conducted with the participation of the police and the army “without other forces” in allusion to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militias.

“The search procedures and their form have found great acceptance and response from the IDPs,” he added.

In a show of force, on 2 November the RSF surrounded part of Kalama camp near Nyala and moved away without engaging any search operation.

The Sudanese government officials repeat since several years that the camp is a hideout of elements from the armed groups.

(ST)