Janjaweed ‘causing chaos’ in North Kordofan capital

Two people were seriously wounded when a car belonging to militia elements, known as Janjaweed, hit them in a village south of El Obeid, the capital city of North Kordofan, on Wednesday. Meanwhile the state governor accused the Janjaweed of causing panic amongst citizens. Citizens recounted that an armed Janjaweed member entered a shop owned by 62-year-old Saleh Idris in Fartangul East at 5pm. When their discussion over a price heated, the Janjaweed ran over the merchant and his 71-year-old assistant named El Digeil, and then fled. Both wounded were taken in critical condition to El Obeid and then to Khartoum for treatment. The Governor of North Kordofan, Ahmed Haroun, accused the Janjaweed forces of causing panic and chaos in the city in a statement on Wednesday. “The Janjaweed militias came from pastoral communities without adequate training and got involved in frictions with El Obeid’s citizens.” Haroun added that the evacuation of the “rapid support troops” (Janjaweed) from parts of the state is ongoing. Janjaweed demand compensation It is worth noting that Governor Haroun is in charge of the Janjaweed file, as North Kordofan serves as a centre for provision and supplies for the leadership. He is also one of the Sudanese officials who were indicted in 2007 by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Darfur. The Janjaweed militias have carried out killings, rapes and looting in El Obeid after returning from the South Kordofan battlefields last January. They are demanding a huge financial compensation for their services and those of deceased militia members, and refuse to return to South Kordofan, threatening to return to Darfur instead. The Janjaweed are also unwilling to hand over their equipment and weapons to the Military Area Command in El Obeid. File photo: Street in El Obeid (Virtual Tourist) Related: Militiamen refuse to pay dues in North Kordofan (15 January 2014)