Musa Hilal’s Council forms ‘Jebel ‘Amer Administration’, calls for intifada in Sudan

The Revolutionary Awakening Council and the native administration of the Beni Hussein tribe agreed on the establishment of a new management board for the gold mining area of Jebel ‘Amer in El Sareif Beni Hussein locality, North Darfur. “The decision to set up a new management board for the area came after a series of meetings on Thursday and Friday in Jebel ‘Amer,” Ahmed Mohamed Abakar, the spokesman for the Revolutionary Awakening Council (RAC) told Radio Dabanga. “The meetings, under the chairmanship of RAC founder Musa Hilal, and Beni Hussein tribal leader El Jidi Adam Mohamed, were attended by members of the RAC, about 100 notables from El Sareif, Saraf Umra, Kabkabiya, and El Waha localities, and Jebel ‘Amer branch employees,” Abakar set out. During the meetings, it was also decided that the responsibility for protection of the gold mine lies with the management board, and not with the regular forces. “Anyone who wants to visit, or work in Jebel ‘Amer, will have to request permission from the supervisors appointed by the board.” ‘NCP is lying’ The spokesman noted that RAC leader Musa Hilal has called on all Darfuris, in particular the Arab tribes, “not to respond to recruitment campaigns to fight in Darfur, South Kordofan, and the Blue Nile”. He referred to the visit of Defence minister Abdelrahim Hussein, and director of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), Mohamed Atta, to El Fasher and Nyala last week, to attend the graduation ceremonies of infantry batches. Both officials announced that the coming months will witness a military “dry season offensive that will definitely “crush the rebellion” in the country. The spokesman accused the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and its leaders of lying. “They continue to deceive the Sudanese, and murder them.” On behalf of the RAC, he called on all Sudanese, and in particular the Arab tribes, not to respond to recruitment calls, but to “stand up against the NCP and its corrupt regime”. “In particular, the Arab youth should be aware of this. In reality, they are not wage a jihad, and defending the nation, as the NCP leaders say. The Sudanese rulers only want to defend their interests, their personal agendas, and their positions.” Janjaweed Hilal, a notorious Janjaweed leader, belongs to the Arab Mahameed clan in North Darfur. In 2003, when the armed conflict in Darfur broke out, he was serving a jail sentence for stirring up ethnic conflicts resulting in the massacre of innocent civilians. However, Vice-President Ali Osman Taha released Hilal to head the mobilisation of Janjaweed, and fight the Darfuri rebels. With the full backing of the government, Hilal’s militias targeted unarmed civilians in the region, attacking African Darfuri villages, but they rarely came near forces of the armed rebel movements. The militia leader is subject to travel and financial sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council in 2006. Early 2008, Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir offered him the post of Presidential Assistant for Federal Affairs. Mid 2013, however, Hilal returned to North Darfur, where his fighters launched widespread attacks on government forces and allied militias. A source told Radio Dabanga in July this year that the Janjaweed leader was still a member of the NCP, and Member of the Parliament. File photo: Musa Hilal attending a reconciliation conference between the Beni Hussein and Abbala tribes in Kabkabiya, North Darfur, 5 June 2014 (Hamid Abdulsalam/Unamid) Related:‘Sudan to crush rebellion in next dry season campaign’: Defence, security (11 December 2014) Sudan: SPLM-N, Musa Hilal’s Revolutionary Council sign MuO (11 July 2014) ‘Citizens bear brunt of power struggle in North Darfur’: camp coordinator (10 July 2014) ‘Sudan’s National Dialogue proposal not serious’: Musa Hilal spokesman (18 June 2014)Musa Hilal ‘establishes administration’ in North Darfur (19 March 2014)