‘Janjaweed symptom of Sudan govt’s weakness’: Darfuri scholar
The reliance of the Al Bashir government on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) reflects the weakness of the regime, as well as the decline in the allegiance of the conventional Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), according to a prominent Darfuri scholar. In an interview with Radio Dabanga, the first part of which was aired on Wednesday, Ahmed Hussein Adam, a visiting scholar and the co-chairman of the Two Sudans Project at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights at Columbia University in the USA, says that the Khartoum regime is “using these Janjaweed militias to consolidate Al Bashir’s grip on power”. “Al Bashir’s reconstitution of the RSF was an attempt to counterweigh the army and intimidate political opponents,” he said. “They are mercenaries fighting for hire with little ambition to rule. They perpetrate rape and murder for money.” Adam described the return of the Janjaweed in the guise of the RSF as devastating because of their abuses against the citizens, property, and villages in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, and Blue Nile. The atrocities and Genocide have been ongoing, just as they were in 2003, 2004, and 2005. “What has changed is the retreat in international concern for Darfur. This is because of UN and Unamid reports that attempt to withdraw the issue of Darfur from international and regional platforms.” Adam added that the newly-formed RSF “are attempting to get rid of the Darfuri cause through murder, rape and displacement following direct instructions from the regime”. He also called on Sheikh Musa Hilal Musa Hilal, the leader of El Sahwa Revolutionary Council, to take a clear strategic decision regarding his relations with the ruling party, and apologise to the victims of abuses in Darfur. “The RSF must bear in mind that Al Bashir will one day get rid of you, so you have to rethink your positions and issues,” he cautioned. Ahmed Hussain Adam is a prominent Sudanese politician and scholar from Darfur. Mr. Adam studied law in Sudan and public international law in the UK, where he received his LL/M in International Law from Westminster University, London 1999. Mr. Adam has been a prominent voice for the people of Darfur and all oppressed Sudanese. He has been one of the principal negotiators on behalf of the people of Darfur in various peace talks sponsored by international and regional organizations such as the United Nations, the African Union, and the Arab League.Mr. Adam is currently a Visiting Scholar and co-chair of the Two Sudans Forum at ISHR. He is also writing a book manuscript on Darfur titled: Darfur Betrayed: An Insider Perspective. The proposed book attempts to offer a scholarly and insider perspective on Darfur peace processes since 2004.The book will critically examine the role and response of the regional and international community to the crisis of Darfur. (Biographical information source: humanrightscolumbia.org) Related: Article by Ahmed Hussain Adam: In Sudan, the Janjaweed Rides Again, New York Times (16 July 2014)
The reliance of the Al Bashir government on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) reflects the weakness of the regime, as well as the decline in the allegiance of the conventional Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), according to a prominent Darfuri scholar.
In an interview with Radio Dabanga, the first part of which was aired on Wednesday, Ahmed Hussein Adam, a visiting scholar and the co-chairman of the Two Sudans Project at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights at Columbia University in the USA, says that the Khartoum regime is “using these Janjaweed militias to consolidate Al Bashir’s grip on power”.
“Al Bashir’s reconstitution of the RSF was an attempt to counterweigh the army and intimidate political opponents,” he said. “They are mercenaries fighting for hire with little ambition to rule. They perpetrate rape and murder for money.”
Adam described the return of the Janjaweed in the guise of the RSF as devastating because of their abuses against the citizens, property, and villages in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, and Blue Nile.
The atrocities and Genocide have been ongoing, just as they were in 2003, 2004, and 2005. “What has changed is the retreat in international concern for Darfur. This is because of UN and Unamid reports that attempt to withdraw the issue of Darfur from international and regional platforms.”
Adam added that the newly-formed RSF “are attempting to get rid of the Darfuri cause through murder, rape and displacement following direct instructions from the regime”.
He also called on Sheikh Musa Hilal Musa Hilal, the leader of El Sahwa Revolutionary Council, to take a clear strategic decision regarding his relations with the ruling party, and apologise to the victims of abuses in Darfur.
“The RSF must bear in mind that Al Bashir will one day get rid of you, so you have to rethink your positions and issues,” he cautioned.
Ahmed Hussain Adam is a prominent Sudanese politician and scholar from Darfur. Mr. Adam studied law in Sudan and public international law in the UK, where he received his LL/M in International Law from Westminster University, London 1999. Mr. Adam has been a prominent voice for the people of Darfur and all oppressed Sudanese. He has been one of the principal negotiators on behalf of the people of Darfur in various peace talks sponsored by international and regional organizations such as the United Nations, the African Union, and the Arab League.
Mr. Adam is currently a Visiting Scholar and co-chair of the Two Sudans Forum at ISHR. He is also writing a book manuscript on Darfur titled: Darfur Betrayed: An Insider Perspective. The proposed book attempts to offer a scholarly and insider perspective on Darfur peace processes since 2004.The book will critically examine the role and response of the regional and international community to the crisis of Darfur. (Biographical information source: humanrightscolumbia.org)
Related: Article by Ahmed Hussain Adam: In Sudan, the Janjaweed Rides Again, New York Times (16 July 2014)
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