- Advertisement -
Musa Hilal has been released, the leader of the infamous Janjaweed, Arab militias accused of committing atrocities in Darfur received a pardon. Pardon granted by Sovereign Council, the institution overseeing the transition in Sudan. Musa Hilal remains under UN sanctions and accused of serious crimes in Darfur.
With our regional correspondent Sebastien nemeth
Videos are already circulating. Musa Hilal | in white clothes and swung his fist after his release from prison. This very controversial 60-year-old character comes from the Arab tribe Rizeigat.
He is suspected of having heavy responsibility for the crimes committed in Darfur under the old regime. In January 2008, the government had appointed him chief adviser to the Minister of Federal Affairs. This position allowed him to coordinate regional leaders, Arab tribes, and the recruitment of armed men.
Musa Hilal is today considered the leader of Janjaweed, the militias used by the dictatorship and charged with war crimes and genocide in Darfur. For his part, he never acknowledged being their leader, saying he considered himself “a tribal chief,” yet ready to answer for his actions. Nevertheless, the UN placed him under sanction with an asset freeze and a travel ban in 2006 …
► To read too : Can the EU rely on Janjaweed militias to control migratory flows?
Release from prison to reassure his followers?
His star began to fade as he accused former President Omar al-Bechir of splitting the Arab tribes. Musa Hilal was finally arrested in late 2017. But many have remained loyal to him.
In January, a UN report pointed to the growing anger of its supporters, some of whom have taken up arms … The government, which is trying to calm Darfur, has chosen to liberate it. But it is unclear whether Musa Hilal will be a force for peace or chaos. In any case, this decision again raises the issue of impunity for Darfur’s crimes.
►Read also: Massacre of massacres in Darfur and threat of new rounds of violence
.
