Sudan plans to attack IDPs camps in Darfur: SRF
November 24, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Revolutionary Forces (SRF) led by Minni Minnawi has warned against government plot to attack the IDPs camps in Darfur under the pretext of the disarmament campaign.
Last August, the Sudanese authorities launched a six-month disarmament campaign to eliminate illegal weapons in the conflict-affected areas in Sudan, particularly in Darfur region.
On Monday, a joint government force raided Abu Zar camp for IDPs in West Darfur state as part of the forcible phase of the disarmament campaign.
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune Friday, SRF spokesperson Mohamed Zakaria Faraj Allah said the disarmament campaign has caused a serious security problem in Darfur.
“The [disarmament] campaign was counterproductive and caused increased security tensions, resulting in new waves of displacement,” read the statement.
Faraj Allah further warned against government plots to attack the IDPs camps “with the intention of emptying them under the pretext of the weapons collection campaign”.
The Sudanese government in September notified the United Nations of the presence of weapons inside IDPs camps in Darfur, saying it poses a serious danger to camps residents.
Earlier this month, the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) called on the Sudanese government and the IDPs to work with the Mission “in a collaborative way in order to advance the weapons collection campaign.”
The call came after a show of force by the Sudanese government forces which surrounded some parts of the Kalma camp in South Darfur state before to withdraw on 2 November.
Also, the residents of Kalma camp rejected the government forcible arms collection in the camp and called to leave the operation for the UNAMID.
Last week, the UNAMID and the government approved a joint plan to collect illegal weapons from Kalma. The plan begins by launching a voluntary disarmament campaign.
SRF is a coalition established in 2011 between rebel groups in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile including the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Sudan Liberation Movement/SLM-AW led by Abdel-Wahid al-Nour and SLM-MM led by Minni Minnawi and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N).
Divergences appeared within the SRF groups in October 2015 when the three groups from Darfur region, JEM, SLM-AW and SLM-MM, issued a statement announcing the appointment of the leader of JEM, Gibril Ibrahim, as chairman of the rebel umbrella.
The SRF split in October 2015 into two factions one headed by Gibril Ibrahim and the second by Malik Agar after a difference over the chairmanship of the rebel alliance.
Last month, the SRF Gibril held its general conference in Paris. The rebel alliance leaders unanimously elected Minni Minnawi as a new chairman for the umbrella organization.
(ST)