North Darfur: Call for release of janjaweed leader’s deaf son

The family of detained Ahmed Musa Hilal, hearing-impaired son of janjaweed leader Musa Hilal, who has been on a hunger strike at the notorious Shala prison in the North Darfur capital of El Fasher since Thursday, appealed to the Sudanese government represented in the governor of North Darfur, the security services, and police to intervene to release him.

The family also appealed to human rights organisations, all political forces, and activists to intervene for his release.

Ahmed Musa is the son of janjaweed leader and chairman of the Revolutionary Awakening Council (RAC) Musa Hilal, who was arrested in a raid on his stronghold in Misteriya, North Darfur, in November last year.

His sons, brothers, and entourage were detained to join the 2,000 people from Hilal’s clan.

On July 16, Ahmed Musa was arrested by gunmen from Kutum, taken to El Fasher and released before he was re-arrested on the same day.

It is widely believed that the arrest was carried out on personal orders from Brig. Gen. Madawi Hussein, the third-in-command of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, who was accused of killing Brigadier General Abdelrahim Jumaa on November.

It was reported that the police of North Darfur refused to receive detainee Ahmed on the pretext that he was special needs and has speech and hearing disabilities, before the RSF sentenced him and transferred him to Shala prison on charges of “talking and communicating with external parties”.