Darfur camps’ leaders reject ‘militarization of displaced’
Seventy sheikhs and omdas of North Darfur camps announced they “fully reject” the recruitment of displaced persons to join the popular police forces. These officers would be responsible for guarding the displaced who would voluntarily return to their areas of origin. Voluntary return was one of the topics discussed in the Nyala conference for displaced and refugees earlier this month, established within the framework of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).The summit was organized by the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA), chaired by Dr. Tijani Sese, with logistical support of UNAMID.The commissioner of Tawila locality, Mohamed Ahmed Abdullah, met on Thursday with the 70-large delegation of three displaced camps in the district: Argo, Dali and Rwanda. Abdullah was accompanied by elements of DRA, who had arrived with him from El Fasher by helicopter.In the meeting, Tawila’s commissioner declared that DRA would start opening camps on Sunday in the area to recruit displaced persons to join the popular police forces, in line with Nyala conference’s recommendations. However, camps’ representatives emphasized they “fully rejected” the opening of recruitment camps, because they are displaced persons and they “have no affiliation with militarization or with fighting”. “We accept anybody who would come protect us. If Sese had troops to protect us, we would not turn them away. We are dead enough, because we are suffering from the killings, looting, and displacement. The government is killing us for 10 years already”, one of the camps’ representatives told Radio Dabanga.Dr. Tijani Sese is also head of the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), a rebel group from Darfur that signed the DDPD with the Sudanese government in 2011.The source also said he fears a repetition of the “Korma” incident last year if the recruitment camps are opened in Tawila.He explained that in February 2012, Sese gathered about 600 displaced persons to be recruited in Korma, North Darfur, under the unfulfilled promise to pay each one of them 6,000 Sudanese pounds ($1,360). The camp was later attacked by SLA-AW rebel forces and some of the displaced were killed, the source noted.Camps’ leaders emphasized to the DRA delegation and Tawila’s commissioner that the displaced are not leaving the camps until “comprehensive peace is achieved in Darfur”.“We want full security on the ground, individual and collective compensation, that perpetrators of crimes in Darfur are held accountable, that basic needs in our areas of origin are provided, that pro-government militias are dismantled and that settlers are expelled”, one of them said.File photo by Albert Gonzalez Farran/ UNAMID Related:Donors’ money will go to militias, bombs-Darfur displaced (2 April 2013)LJM accuses SLM-AW of attack in North Darfur (1 March 2012)
Seventy sheikhs and omdas of North Darfur camps announced they “fully reject” the recruitment of displaced persons to join the popular police forces. These officers would be responsible for guarding the displaced who would voluntarily return to their areas of origin.
Voluntary return was one of the topics discussed in the Nyala conference for displaced and refugees earlier this month, established within the framework of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).
The summit was organized by the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA), chaired by Dr. Tijani Sese, with logistical support of UNAMID.
The commissioner of Tawila locality, Mohamed Ahmed Abdullah, met on Thursday with the 70-large delegation of three displaced camps in the district: Argo, Dali and Rwanda. Abdullah was accompanied by elements of DRA, who had arrived with him from El Fasher by helicopter.
In the meeting, Tawila’s commissioner declared that DRA would start opening camps on Sunday in the area to recruit displaced persons to join the popular police forces, in line with Nyala conference’s recommendations.
However, camps’ representatives emphasized they “fully rejected” the opening of recruitment camps, because they are displaced persons and they “have no affiliation with militarization or with fighting”.
“We accept anybody who would come protect us. If Sese had troops to protect us, we would not turn them away. We are dead enough, because we are suffering from the killings, looting, and displacement. The government is killing us for 10 years already”, one of the camps’ representatives told Radio Dabanga.
Dr. Tijani Sese is also head of the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), a rebel group from Darfur that signed the DDPD with the Sudanese government in 2011.
The source also said he fears a repetition of the “Korma” incident last year if the recruitment camps are opened in Tawila.
He explained that in February 2012, Sese gathered about 600 displaced persons to be recruited in Korma, North Darfur, under the unfulfilled promise to pay each one of them 6,000 Sudanese pounds ($1,360). The camp was later attacked by SLA-AW rebel forces and some of the displaced were killed, the source noted.
Camps’ leaders emphasized to the DRA delegation and Tawila’s commissioner that the displaced are not leaving the camps until “comprehensive peace is achieved in Darfur”.
“We want full security on the ground, individual and collective compensation, that perpetrators of crimes in Darfur are held accountable, that basic needs in our areas of origin are provided, that pro-government militias are dismantled and that settlers are expelled”, one of them said.
File photo by Albert Gonzalez Farran/ UNAMID
Related:
Donors’ money will go to militias, bombs-Darfur displaced (2 April 2013)
LJM accuses SLM-AW of attack in North Darfur (1 March 2012)
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