
There has been a new United Nations Report on Sudan and the situation in Darfur. What is striking to me, is the weapons trade and the transfer of it within Darfur. This here is showing the reality on how these areas are moving both old weapons and new. Where the government of Sudan is supplying weapons, but the different militias are doing to.
The Group of Experts found out that the Darfurian Militias was even selling to Chadian Ones and to Central African Republic. These reports shows that there is so much trading of arms, which are done by violating the arms embargo, not only in Darfur, but also in the Central African Republic, Chad and Libya itself. That is why it is done by smugglers based in Darfur. This must surely be a way for the militias and state to get funding for their operations.
The Group of Experts explain it the best:
“The Libya-based Darfurian rebels source most of their weapons in Darfur, in particular 12.7mm, 14.5mm and Goronov machine guns, which they frequently use but which are rarely available in Libya. They purchase some of these weapons from Darfurian smugglers, often ex-members of Arab militias, who deliver the weapons to Chad or Libya, where the transaction takes place. For instance, in November 2018, according to a rebel source, some GSLF elements were arrested by the Chadian authorities on their way back to Libya after buying weapons (12.7mm machine guns) brought from Darfur to a refugee camp in eastern Chad. Some other rebels use their personal connections with the SLA/AW group led by Soliman Marajan in the Malha area (North Darfur) to come and purchase weapons in the Malha and Mellit areas” (P: 27, 2019).
“Security Council resolution 1591 (2005) requires that the Committee established pursuant to the resolution approve any movement of military equipment by the Government of the Sudan into Darfur. During the reporting period, the Government of the Sudan continued to transfer military equipment without seeking the Committee’s approval. In its travel to Darfur, the Panel on several occasions saw the offloading of military equipment from aircraft” (…) “As a further reason for the transfers of military equipment into Darfur, it cited Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations and the need to protect its international borders with Libya, Chad and the Central African Republic” (P: 36-27, 2019).
“Darfur continues to be a source of weapons for foreign belligerents in neighbouring countries. Some armed groups participating in the Libyan conflict purchase some of their weapons and ammunition (such as 12.7mm machine guns) in Darfur, in particular from Arab militia members in the Kutum/Kabkabiya area of North Darfur. For example, the Chadian authorities said to the Panel that in the second half of 2018, they had discovered an important arms cache in the Kariari refugee camp in eastern Chad (inhabited mostly by Darfurian Zaghawa refugees). These weapons originated from Darfur and were to be sent to Chadian rebels in Libya” (…) “Some ex-Séléka factions based in the north-eastern Central African Republic also sourced some weapons from militias of Darfur in 2018. Weapons smuggling from Darfur to neighbouring countries seems to have been accentuated by the weapons collection campaign in Darfur, as the campaign pushed some armed Darfurian elements to sell off their weapons surpluses rapidly” (P: 39, 2019).
So, unless Government of Sudan, their security forces want to handle this, unless the militias who fights for their rights and funding doesn’t get incentive to stop it. The volatile business going to continue. The militias of Darfur are getting their funding by trading weapons to the rest of the region, exporting it for cash. The state continues to drop weapons in violations to. Ensuring more are circulated there. Even as the state in the report has stated they are feeling they contain the militias in Darfur now and have made the Janjaweed aka RSF more professional. Still, there are questionable behaviour and that has to be addressed.
Even as there is riots, demonstrations and questioning the central leadership/dictatorship in Khartoum. Peace.
Reference:
United States Security Council – ‘Letter dated 10 January 2019 from the Panel of Experts on the Sudan established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) addressed to the President of the Security Council’ 10.01.2019












