North Darfur: Gang caught smuggling Sudanese migrants to Libya

A gang of five men has been caught attempting to smuggle 39 Sudanese migrants, heading for the border of Libya through North Darfur.

The governor of North Darfur, Lt Col El Naeem Khidir, said on Saturday evening the commandment of the Sixth Infantry’s intelligence division managed to foil an attempt to smuggle 39 Sudanese migrants illegally to Libya.

He announced that the arrest of the gang consisting of five members took place in the area of Jebel Eisa near El Malha with thirty-nine youths on board a Mercedes and a Land Rover on their way to Libya.

Details of how the Infantry forces found the smugglers and migrants are not clear. It is also not clear from the statement what has happened to those caught. 

Following the announcement, the governor said that the security plan for the next phase includes continuing the process of collecting weapons and carrying out the emergency orders earlier declared by the Sudanese President, Omar Al Bashir.

Last year in July, the Sudanese government announced a large disarmament campaign in the country, to begin with in Darfur and Kordofan.

Members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan’s main government militia, and the army were tasked to collect illegal arms and unlicensed vehicles from civilians. In North Darfur alone, more than 12,500 RSF troops were deployed for this purpose.