Darfur rebels kill nephew of Arab tribal chief Musa Hilal

KHARTOUM, Feb 2, 2005 (Reuters) – Darfur rebels killed a nephew of the man heading the U.S. State Department’s list of suspected Arab militia leaders who stand accused of human rights abuses in the remote west of Sudan, relatives said on Wednesday.

Musa Hilal, head of the largest Arab tribe in North Darfur, top list of suspected leaders of the Janjaweed.

The relatives, who declined to be named, said rebels ambushed one of the sons of Musa Hilal’s brother, Omar Hilal, three days ago, killing him and a friend in North Darfur state.

“They were travelling between Kutum and Kebkabiya when they were attacked by the rebels about three days ago,” one relative said. “His nephew was killed and so was one of his friends.”

Hilal is the head of the largest Arab tribe in North Darfur. The media sees him as the face of Arab militias, locally called Janjaweed. Darfur rebels say the government has used the militias as a proxy force against non-Arab Darfur villages.

The U.S. State Department placed Hilal at the top of its list of suspected leaders of the Janjaweed. A U.N. report on Darfur violence has accused Khartoum and allied militias of atrocities in the region.

Hilal denies he has any links to the Janjaweed. The government says he is a respected Arab tribal leader.

Darfur has a long history of tribal clashes and aid workers in Khartoum expressed concern that the killing of Hilal’s nephew may escalate violence in the region.

Darfur rebels took up arms against Khartoum in early 2003. They say the government has neglected the region.

The conflict has driven 1.8 million people from their homes and thousands are dying every month from disease and malnutrition in refugee camps.