Police defend Central Darfur capital against ex-rebels

Government forces prevented a large group of angry soldiers of the National Liberation and Justice Movement (NLJM) from storming the market of Zalingei, capital of Central Darfur, today.

Multiple witnesses told Radio Dabanga that about 300 NLJM soldiers moved from the military camp in the area of Dahab Sherow, 13 kilometres east of Zalingei, early Thursday morning, and arrived at the town at about 10 am.

“A force of army, security, and police troops managed to stop the attackers before they could enter the market at the eastern gate of Zalingei, shooting into the air,” an eyewitness reported.

“Ten of the attackers were detained. The others retreated to the area east of the town.”

The sources said that the demobilised NLJM fighters intended to pillage the market out of anger, because they did not receive wages last month.

A NLJM combatant told Radio Dabanga that they not only reject the delayed wages. They also refuse to fight in Jebel Marra, as they were recently ordered to do.

“We shall never return to any fighting,” he said. “And if we do not receive our November salaries soon, we shall attack another market if the authorities do not act.”

The combatant further stated that the Governor of Central Darfur, Jaafar Abdelhakam, intervened and promised to solve their problems, and release the ten detainees.

The Deputy Governor of Central Darfur, Ahmed El Tijani, confirmed the incident to Radio Dabanga. “A military faction belonging to the NLJM, lead by Dr El Tijani Sese, attempted to storm the market of Zalingei, in protest against their unclear position,”he said. “A police force prevented them from entering the market.”

He urged to the Security Arrangements Office of the Darfur Regional Authority and the general commander of the ground forces to expedite the rehabilitation of the ex-rebel fighters.

The Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) formed in 2010 by 19 breakaway factions of the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan Liberation Movement, signed the Doha Document of Peace in Darfur (DDPD) in 2011 with the Sudanese government.

The DDPD’s security arrangements protocol stipulated the implementation of the Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR) programme within 45 days after the conclusion of the peace agreement. Yet, it took more than three years before the first batches started with the DDR programme, in August 2014.

In December last year, conflicts within the leadership of the former rebel group surfaced, and on 18 January, the LJM interim board ousted Sese as its president.

Sese then formed the National Liberation and Justice Movement (NLJM), which was registered as political party in February. The LJM continued under the leadership of federal Health Minister Bahar Idris Abu Garda.