Trial of 19 Darfur rebels starts in Sudan’s capital

On Monday, the first trial hearing of 19 rebel fighters of the Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Minni Minawi (SLM-MM), took place at the Darfur Crimes Tribunal in Khartoum North.

The rebels, taken prisoner by members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Donki Ba’ashim, North Darfur, on 15 March last year, are charged with undermining the constitutional order, waging war against the state, terrorism, possession of weapons, and robbery, crimes that are punishable with the death penalty.

The prosecutor, Yasir Ahmed Mohamed, accused the defendants of plundering and torching villages in North and South Darfur, and killing 60 government troops in an ambush in the area of Donki Ba’ashim in March last year. According to Mohamed, the accused arrived at Donki Ba’ashim with their fellow combatants in 90 vehicles loaded with heavy weapons and ammunition, and launched an attack on government troops stationed in the area.

The spokesman for the defence team, Baroud Sandal, however, told Radio Dabanga that “the charges are politically motivated and do not have any legal basis. The majority of the defendants were held inside their homes in Donki Ba’ashim, not during the battle that took place between armed movement and government forces in the area at the time.”

Judge El Amin El Tayeb El Bashir set the date of 23 March for the next trial session, in which witnesses will be heard.

Related articles:

18 Rebel prisoners transferred from Darfur to Khartoum (28 May 2014)

RSF attacks in Ba'ashim, North Darfur (30 March 2014)