North Darfur to launch collection of illegal weapons

The Governor of North Darfur has confirmed that a committee for the collection of weapons that are carried by civilians will kick-off with a workshop soon. In response, radio listeners asked why the collecting of illegal arms needs a law or workshop.

On Wednesday, Governor Abdel Wahid Yousif announced that the high committee for the collection of weapons will start its preparatory workshop in El Fasher soon, in order to carry out the weapons collection plan.

Yousif stated that arms in Darfur “have fallen in the hands of everyone, including criminals and outlaws”.

The committee was formed by President Omar Al Bashir during his recent visit to the state capital. On 2 April, he told a rally in West Darfyr that after the administrative referendum, a national body will collect illegal arms, and confine them to the regular forces only.

The basics features of the collection plan is based in two phases. The voluntary handing in of weapons will take place during a specified time period, during which the owner will receive a financial compensation from the government, according to Yousif.

At the start of the second phase, weapons will be forcibly collected from everyone except the regular and military forces, through the compulsory implementation of the law.

“The number and kinds of weapons in Darfur is known to the government… if it is really serious.”

People in North Darfur mocked the statement of the Governor, saying that the collection of arms in Darfur has no need of a special law or workshop.

A resident of Kutum locality told Radio Dabanga: “Arms in Darfur are now exclusively in the hands of militias created and armed by the government itself. The government knows the number of heavy and light weapons, the number of vehicles handed over to the militias… if it is really serious about arms collection.”

He claimed that while the government is talking about the process of collecting arms in Darfur, it is re-arming the militias in the region.

Over one year ago, the Revolutionary Awakening Council, an association of former Janjaweed leader Musa Hilal's combatants and tribal leaders in North Darfur, denounced a plan by the Sudanese government to disarm all citizens carrying weapons in Darfur.

Related:

New North Darfur Governor to address security issue (21 June 2015)