Sudan authorities in ‘arrest campaign’ against Doha signatories

The Sudanese security services, in cooperation with the military intelligence and police forces launched an “extensive arrest campaign” on Thursday in Kabkabiya, North Darfur, to detain members of the Doha signatory group Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM). Hussein Jamil Sudan, commander of the Jebel Si Kabkabiya sector of Dr. Tijani Sese’s LJM, said the joint operation is targeting “all houses in all neighborhoods of Kabkabiya”. He explained to Radio Dabanga his group is being targeted because it clashed on Tuesday and Wednesday with a pro-government militia group at the town’s market. According to him, the rebels prevented a citizen from being robbed by four militiamen. One of the pro-government militia members was reportedly killed in the clashes and the other three were detained and handed over to the local military garrison by the LJM. However, when speaking to Radio Dabanga, Sudan said he would not be surprised if authorities released the militiamen shortly. Kabkabiya is often the stage murders, looting and plundering by pro-government militias who instill panic and terror among citizens, Sudan said, noting authorities should be after them and not after the rebels. He added these atrocities are carried out by the militias in front of the police forces, the army and the security services, who “never protect the citizens”. Therefore, he continued, Kabkabiya residents asked the LJM to protect them against these violations. Sudan pointed out that protecting the people of Darfur is one of the responsibilities of the government of Sudan as stated in the Doha Document.The Liberation and Justice Movement signed the Doha peace agreement with the government of Sudan in 2011.Photo: Members of the Sudanese Army in Jawa village, East Jebel Marra (Albert Gonzalez Farran/ UNAMID)Related: Doha signatory group clashes with pro-government militia, N. Darfur -sources (27 February 2013)