British envoy hails Darfur disarmament campaign

January 22, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The United Kingdom special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan Chris Trott has praised the role of the government disarmament campaign in improving the security situation in Darfur.

On Monday, Trott met with the chairman of the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) Tijani Sissi in the presence of the British Ambassador to Sudan, Michael Aron.

The LJM political and information officer Ahmed Fadl Abdallah told the official news agency SUNA, the meeting discussed Sudan’s peace process and in particular Darfur talks as well as the disarmament campaign.

According to Abdallah, Trott hailed the LJM efforts to achieve peace and stability in the country, praising the government decision to collect the illicit weapons in Darfur.

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.

The Sudanese authorities say the spread of weapons among the rival tribes in the region is one of the main causes of Darfur’s instability.

The Sudanese army has been fighting a group of armed movements in Darfur since 2003. UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in the conflict and over 2.5 million were displaced.

(ST)