Urged for August 30 Deadline Janjaweed Camps Still Active

Sudan: Janjaweed Camps Still Active
Sanctions Urged for August 30 Deadline

(New York, August 27, 2004) — The government of Sudan is permitting
abusive Janjaweed militia to maintain at least 16 camps in the western
region of Darfur, Human Rights Watch said today. The U.N. Security
Council set a deadline of Monday, August 30, for Khartoum to comply with
its commitments to stop atrocities in Darfur.

Despite repeated government pledges to neutralize and disarm the
Janjaweed, Human Rights Watch investigators in West and North Darfur
were able to gather information on the militias’ extensive network of
bases. Human Rights Watch said the U.N. Security Council must impose
sanctions on Sudanese government officials for their failure to disarm
and neutralize the Janjaweed militia, including those in the militia
camps.

The Human Rights Watch mission to investigate recent abuses returned
from Darfur on August 19.

“Throughout the time Khartoum was supposedly reining in the Janjaweed,
these camps have been operating in plain sight,” said Peter
Takirambudde, executive director of the Africa division of Human Rights
Watch. “These Janjaweed camps should be immediately investigated by the
U.N. and the African Union ceasefire monitors, then disbanded.”

Human Rights Watch said that any militia members found in the camps
should be investigated for war crimes, crimes against humanity and
ethnic cleansing.

Five of the 16 camps, according to witnesses, are camps the Janjaweed
share with the Sudanese government army. Even more ominous, the Sudanese
government has incorporated members of the Janjaweed militia and its
leaders into the police and the Sudanese army, including Islamist
militia the Popular Defense Forces (PDF), which is under army
jurisdiction.

The Sudanese government has disclaimed responsibility for arming the
Arab nomadic ethnic groups in Darfur to fight against the two largely
African rebel groups there. Khartoum denies responsibility for the
actions of these ethnic militias that are known by their victims as
“Janjaweed.” As Human Rights Watch has documented thoroughly, the
Sudanese government has armed, recruited and supported the Janjaweed
militias that have participated with government forces and government
aircraft in campaigns attacking civilians and villages in Darfur since
early 2003. These attacks constitute crimes against humanity and “ethnic
cleansing.”

Human Rights Watch said the United States and other countries with
satellite capacity should make available past and present satellite
photographs of the locations of these Janjaweed camps to confirm their
existence, and to search for other such militia installations.

“If the United Nations is serious about seeing the Janjaweed disarmed,
they’ve got to know where these militias are based,” said Takirambudde.
“Janjaweed and government forces take over villages they’ve driven
people out of and from those bases continue their #####ng and killing.”

Human Rights Watch called on the U.N. Security Council to mandate the
African Union to protect civilians in Darfur, consistent with the
African Union Peace and Security Council’s July 27, 2004 Communiqué. The
African Union has already fielded 100 ceasefire monitors pursuant to a
ceasefire agreement signed in N’djamena, Chad on April 8 between the
government and the two rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and
the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

Human Rights Watch said that, as a logical part of their duties under
the ceasefire agreement of April 8, the African Union ceasefire monitors
should list the names and ranks of all individuals in those camps, and
catalogue the weapons and other war materiel such as vehicles. This
should form the basis for verifying that none of the individuals listed
participates in any government law enforcement or other job in the
future, and that the weapons are not used again.

Despite its many pledges to disarm the militia, the government has
produced no list of Janjaweed militia who have been disarmed or serial
numbers of confiscated weapons, for verification by the African Union
ceasefire monitors or others, including U.N. officials.

Human Rights Watch urged the U.N. Security Council, which on July 30 set
a deadline of 30 days for the Sudanese government to comply with its
commitments, to impose sanctions on government officials for failure to
disarm and neutralize the Janjaweed militias.

“The existence of these Janjaweed camps shows clearly that Khartoum is
not at all serious about ending atrocities and providing security,” said
Takirambudde. “The fact that there are still armed camps filled with
killers terrorizing civilians in Darfur makes it impossible for people
to go home.”

In its Resolution 1556, article 6, the Security Council “demands that
the Government of Sudan fulfill its commitments to disarm the Janjaweed
militias and apprehend and bring to justice Janjaweed leaders and their
associates who have incited and carried out human rights and
international humanitarian law violations and other atrocities.” (U.N.
Security Council Resolution 1556, July 30, 2004)

“Real, targeted sanctions will bring home to Khartoum that the world
will not let their ethnic cleansing in Darfur stand,” said Takirambudde.

Human Rights Watch said that the possible sanctions for the Security
Council to consider include a Security Council arms embargo on sale or
trade of weapons to the Sudanese government and an embargo on all oil
transactions with Sudan.

The Sudanese government promised in four separate agreements outlined
below in the past four months to “neutralize” and disarm the Janjaweed,
but the Janjaweed camps described to Human Rights Watch apparently have
not been touched. All were set up in the last 14 months since the armed
conflict in Darfur began, the earliest in June 2003.

The heavily-armed camps, as described by witnesses, include three that
were allegedly opened as late as July 2004, after the July 3 date when
Sudanese President Omar El Bashir promised U.N. Secretary-General Kofi
Annan in a joint communiqué to “immediately start to disarm the
Janjaweed and other armed outlaw groups.” These camps appear to have
been established in the wake of the government offensive in South Darfur
in June that violated the ceasefire agreement of April 8, 2004.

Several of the Janjaweed bases are located within kilometers of
internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, such as those at Masry, Kutum
and Um Sayala in North Darfur, and near Nyala in South Darfur. The
displaced in government IDP camps have been targeted by Janjaweed and
government soldiers for further rape, robbery, extortion and killings,
according to testimonies of displaced persons. Human Rights Watch said
that measures under discussion for protection of civilians contemplate
identifying “safe areas,” to be secured by Sudan police forces that
include members of the Janjaweed militias who may have been responsible
for crimes against humanity now redeployed to protect the same civilians
they forcibly and violently displaced. Real protection of civilians can
only occur when the Janjaweed—believed to number some 20,000— are placed
under guard instead of being used to guard more than one million
internally displaced persons in 140 sites registered by the World Food
Program.

Human Rights Watch called for restitution for the victims of the
Janjaweed-Sudanese government attacks and #####ng. A sequential study of
satellite images should establish movements in and out of the camps of
vast quantities of stolen property, including furniture, vehicles and
livestock.

“The livestock is many Darfurians’ livelihood,” said Takirambudde. “The
theft and destruction of homes, furniture, vehicles, crops and livestock
is absolutely devastating.”

Human Rights Watch said that no militia, army or police force has any
business possessing, trading or warehousing such goods. All items in
each Janjaweed camp should be inventoried and preserved under neutral
control, for eventual return to their rightful owners.

NAMES AND DETAILS OF JANJAWEED CAMPS IN DARFUR

Listed below are the 16 camps (camp names are given by victims and
rebels). Human Rights Watch noted that the list is not exhaustive and
refers mainly to camps in West and North Darfur.

Other Janjaweed camps, not in the list below, that have been identified
include Mistiriyah, the main base for Janjaweed militia leader Musa
Hilal located outside Kebkabiya town, and new camps that have been
established over the past three months, including at Saraf Omra in North
Darfur; Mercoondi in South Darfur; and Um Dukhun, Buram, and Abugradil
in West Darfur.

USTANI
Location: west of Serif Omra (also the location of an IDP camp), near
Hashaba, on the road between Geneina and Kebkabiya, West Darfur
Opened: June 2003
Composition: Janjaweed commanders (very few fighters) and not less than
200 Sudanese government troops
Name of Janjaweed commander: Ahmed Jeladi
Structure: Houses and tents, airstrip for helicopter (only the Sudan
government has helicopters and aircraft)
Notable for: First Janjaweed camp opened; Janjaweed headquarters for all
North Darfur (Darfur was previously divided into North and South Darfur,
and this headquarters has jurisdiction over the old North Darfur,
including most of an area that is now West Darfur)

JEBEL KAYA
Location: 30 kilometers east of Geneina, between Geneina and Hashaba,
West Darfur, in the mountains
Opened: June 2003
Composition: Janjaweed only, number unknown
Structure: airstrip for helicopter
Notable for: Janjaweed headquarters for West Darfur; livestock stolen in
North and West Darfur kept here. Most Janjaweed camps are provided with
sheep from this location, and the sheep are sometimes transported by
helicopter to other camps.

GIRGIGIRGI
Location: 85 kilometers northeast of Geneina, West Darfur
Opened: September 2003
Composition: Janjaweed only, number unknown (this was the base of the
now-deceased Janjaweed leader Shurkutallah)
Structure: old village, civilians driven out

DAMRA SHEIKH ABDEL BAGUI
Location: 10 kilometers west of Kutum (location of IDP camp), North
Darfur
Opened: November 2003
Composition: Eighty Janjaweed; unknown number of Sudanese government
and/or police
Names of Janjaweed commanders: Omda Adam Abdel Jalli, Jedou Adam Abdel
Nabi
Structure: Tents

MASRY
Location: 7 kilometers southwest of Kutum (location of IDP camp), North
Darfur
Opened: August 2003
Composition: Janjaweed and Sudanese government army troops, 500
altogether (majority Janjaweed)
Names of Janjaweed commanders (three brothers): Abdel Jabar Abdallah
Gibrin
Georgi Abdallah Gibrin
Hassan Abdallah Gibrin
Structure: Old occupied village
Equipment: Well equipped, all types of weapons

MILLA (30 villages)
Location: 75 kilometers northeast of Kebkabiya, North Darfur
Composition: Janjaweed only, more than 300
Name of Janjaweed commander: Abdul Wahid (retired government army
soldier)
Structure: occupied villages, civilians (Fur, Tunjur, Zaghawa) driven
out
Equipment: six vehicles

UM SAYALA (Lumlum, Alku, Hilla Khater, El Haj Oulad Babay, Um Hamnoki
villages) (Um Sayala is the location of an IDP camp)
Location: 20 kilometers east of Kutum, 5 kilometers west of Um Hiaye,
North Darfur
Opened: late 2003
Composition: Janjaweed and Sudanese government army troops together
totaling 300
Names of Janjaweed commanders: Yohanes Abdallah Jadallah (Itefat tribe)

Illei Ahmed Taher (Jallul tribe)
Abdelhazim Ibrahim Abdallah Jadallah (Itefat)
Mohamad Saleh Ibrahim Abdallah
Structure: occupied villages, civilians (Tunjur, Mima) driven out
Notable for: More than one hundred villagers reportedly were killed when
the camp was installed, sixty-nine in Lumlum alone.
Note: visited by African Union ceasefire monitors on July 11, 2004 (the
government of
Sudan complained of an attack on their forces at Um Sayala on July 3,
but the A.U. ceasefire monitors after investigation concluded that no
such attack could be verified)

FUNU
Location: west of Kutum (location of IDP camp), West Darfur
Opened: January 2004
Composition: Janjaweed and Sudanese government army troops (separated by
a wadi or seasonal riverbed)
Numbers: The number of Janjaweed varies but never less than 200;
Sudanese government troops, 300.
Structures: No tents during the dry season, Janjaweed camp under the
trees
Equipment: well equipped, most types of weapons the Sudanese government
possesses (sometime brought by helicopter)
Notable for: Stolen livestock kept here

UM HEGLIG
Location: northeast of Mellit (east of Kutum; both locations of IDP
camps), North Darfur
Opened: January 2004
Composition: Janjaweed only, number unknown but high rotation

KUMA
Location: 60 kilometers east of El Fasher, North Darfur
Composition: Janjaweed only, number unknown
Structure: camp installed outside the village of Kuma

ABU JIDAD
Location: 60 kilometers south of Karnoi, West Darfur
Opened: May 2004
Composition: Janjaweed only, no less than 500
Structure: Occupied farms (farmers cannot access their houses or fields)

Equipment: many weapons and five vehicles provided by the Sudanese
government

ISHARAYA
Location: 75 kilometers south of Nyala, 3 kilometers north of Buram,
South Darfur
Opened: May 15, 2004
Composition: Janjaweed only, number unknown
Structure: occupied farm villages, civilians (Binga, Mima, Kretch, some
Masalit) driven out
Equipment: three or four cars and horses

KURGUE (15 villages), extension of Funu camp
Location: 85 kilometers west of Kutum, east of Funu camp, West Darfur
Opened: June 2004
Composition: Janjaweed only, about 200
Structure: old occupied villages (well, mosque), civilians (Fur,
Zaghawa, Tunjur) driven out
Equipment: well equipped by Sudanese government; trucks, horses, and
camels

ASSALAYA
Location: east of Nyala, 40 kilometers west of Ed Da’ein, 5 kilometers
north of an Sudanese government army base, South Darfur
Opened: July 2004
Composition: Janjaweed and Sudanese government army troops, numbers
unknown
Structure: airstrip for helicopter
Equipment: same as government army troops

RAZALLAH JAWAZAT
Location: east of Nyala, 8 kilometers west of Ed Da’ein, South Darfur
Opened: July 2004
Composition: Janjaweed only, 200
Structure: occupied villages, civilians (Borgo, Bergid, Sam Tama, Berti)
driven out
Equipment: vehicles, horses, and some camels

TAISHA
Location: 17 kilometers east of Nyala (IDP camps in Intifida and Kalma,
east of Nyala), west of Labadu, South Darfur
Opened: July 2004
Composition: Janjaweed only, number unknown
Structure: occupied villages, civilians (Dayo ethnic group) driven out

The Sudanese government promised to disarm and neutralize the
Janjaweed—also referred to as “militias”—in the following agreements:

1. Agreement on Humanitarian Ceasefire on the Conflict in Darfur, April
8, 2004

Article 6: “The parties shall ensure that all armed groups under their
control comply with this agreement. The Sudanese Government shall commit
itself to neutralize the armed militias.”

2. Agreement Between the Government of Sudan, The Sudan Liberation
Movement, and the Justice and Equality Movement, April 25, 2004

Article 4 (d): “the Government of Sudan shall ensure that armed militia
are neutralized and disarmed in the framework of a programme to be
determined”.

3. Joint Communiqué between the Government of Sudan and the United
Nations, July 3, 2004

Article 3: On Security commits the government of Sudan to “Immediately
start to disarm the Janjaweed and other armed outlaw groups.”

4. Darfur Plan of Action signed by the Government of Sudan and the U.N.
Special Representative of the Secretary-General Jan Pronk, August 6,
2004

Article 4: Control and restrain activities by armed militias. “The
Government of Sudan would identify and declare those militias over whom
it has influence and instruct them to cease their activities forthwith
and lay down their weapons”.

For further information, please contact:

In New York, Jemera Rone: +1-202-368-5414
In Amsterdam, Leslie Lefkow: +31-20-486-2881


The following Human Rights Watch reports are available online:

“Empty Promises? Continuing Abuses in Darfur Sudan”
http://hrw.org/backgrounder/africa/sudan/2004/

“Darfur Documents Confirm Government Policy of Militia Support”
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/07/19/darfur9096.htm

“Darfur Destroyed”
http://hrw.org/reports/2004/sudan0504/

“Darfur in Flames: Atrocities in Western Sudan”
http://hrw.org/reports/2004/sudan0404/


--
Jemera Rone
Sudan/Uganda researcher, East Africa/Horn coordinator
Human Rights Watch, 1630 Connecticut Ave NW, # 500, Washington, DC 20009

202-612-4328; Nicholas Galletti, associate, 202-612-4347; reception
202-612-4321; fax 202-612-4333
email: [email protected]
Darfur page: http://hrw.org/doc?t=africa&c=darfur
Sudan page: http://www.hrw.org/africa/sudan.php
Sudan, Oil, and Human Rights: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/sudan1103/

Quote: Sudan: Janjaweed Camps Still Active Sanctions Urged for August 30 Deadline (New York, August 27, 2004) — The government of Sudan is permitting abusive Janjaweed militia to maintain at least 16 camps in the western region of Darfur, Human Rights Watch said today. The U.N. Security Council set a deadline of Monday, August 30, for Khartoum to comply with its commitments to stop atrocities in Darfur. Despite repeated government pledges to neutralize and disarm the Janjaweed, Human Rights Watch investigators in West and North Darfur were able to gather information on the militias’ extensive network of bases. Human Rights Watch said the U.N. Security Council must impose sanctions on Sudanese government officials for their failure to disarm and neutralize the Janjaweed militia, including those in the militia camps. The Human Rights Watch mission to investigate recent abuses returned from Darfur on August 19. “Throughout the time Khartoum was supposedly reining in the Janjaweed, these camps have been operating in plain sight,” said Peter Takirambudde, executive director of the Africa division of Human Rights Watch. “These Janjaweed camps should be immediately investigated by the U.N. and the African Union ceasefire monitors, then disbanded.” Human Rights Watch said that any militia members found in the camps should be investigated for war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. Five of the 16 camps, according to witnesses, are camps the Janjaweed share with the Sudanese government army. Even more ominous, the Sudanese government has incorporated members of the Janjaweed militia and its leaders into the police and the Sudanese army, including Islamist militia the Popular Defense Forces (PDF), which is under army jurisdiction. The Sudanese government has disclaimed responsibility for arming the Arab nomadic ethnic groups in Darfur to fight against the two largely African rebel groups there. Khartoum denies responsibility for the actions of these ethnic militias that are known by their victims as “Janjaweed.” As Human Rights Watch has documented thoroughly, the Sudanese government has armed, recruited and supported the Janjaweed militias that have participated with government forces and government aircraft in campaigns attacking civilians and villages in Darfur since early 2003. These attacks constitute crimes against humanity and “ethnic cleansing.” Human Rights Watch said the United States and other countries with satellite capacity should make available past and present satellite photographs of the locations of these Janjaweed camps to confirm their existence, and to search for other such militia installations. “If the United Nations is serious about seeing the Janjaweed disarmed, they’ve got to know where these militias are based,” said Takirambudde. “Janjaweed and government forces take over villages they’ve driven people out of and from those bases continue their #####ng and killing.” Human Rights Watch called on the U.N. Security Council to mandate the African Union to protect civilians in Darfur, consistent with the African Union Peace and Security Council’s July 27, 2004 Communiqué. The African Union has already fielded 100 ceasefire monitors pursuant to a ceasefire agreement signed in N’djamena, Chad on April 8 between the government and the two rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). Human Rights Watch said that, as a logical part of their duties under the ceasefire agreement of April 8, the African Union ceasefire monitors should list the names and ranks of all individuals in those camps, and catalogue the weapons and other war materiel such as vehicles. This should form the basis for verifying that none of the individuals listed participates in any government law enforcement or other job in the future, and that the weapons are not used again. Despite its many pledges to disarm the militia, the government has produced no list of Janjaweed militia who have been disarmed or serial numbers of confiscated weapons, for verification by the African Union ceasefire monitors or others, including U.N. officials. Human Rights Watch urged the U.N. Security Council, which on July 30 set a deadline of 30 days for the Sudanese government to comply with its commitments, to impose sanctions on government officials for failure to disarm and neutralize the Janjaweed militias. “The existence of these Janjaweed camps shows clearly that Khartoum is not at all serious about ending atrocities and providing security,” said Takirambudde. “The fact that there are still armed camps filled with killers terrorizing civilians in Darfur makes it impossible for people to go home.” In its Resolution 1556, article 6, the Security Council “demands that the Government of Sudan fulfill its commitments to disarm the Janjaweed militias and apprehend and bring to justice Janjaweed leaders and their associates who have incited and carried out human rights and international humanitarian law violations and other atrocities.” (U.N. Security Council Resolution 1556, July 30, 2004) “Real, targeted sanctions will bring home to Khartoum that the world will not let their ethnic cleansing in Darfur stand,” said Takirambudde. Human Rights Watch said that the possible sanctions for the Security Council to consider include a Security Council arms embargo on sale or trade of weapons to the Sudanese government and an embargo on all oil transactions with Sudan. The Sudanese government promised in four separate agreements outlined below in the past four months to “neutralize” and disarm the Janjaweed, but the Janjaweed camps described to Human Rights Watch apparently have not been touched. All were set up in the last 14 months since the armed conflict in Darfur began, the earliest in June 2003. The heavily-armed camps, as described by witnesses, include three that were allegedly opened as late as July 2004, after the July 3 date when Sudanese President Omar El Bashir promised U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in a joint communiqué to “immediately start to disarm the Janjaweed and other armed outlaw groups.” These camps appear to have been established in the wake of the government offensive in South Darfur in June that violated the ceasefire agreement of April 8, 2004. Several of the Janjaweed bases are located within kilometers of internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, such as those at Masry, Kutum and Um Sayala in North Darfur, and near Nyala in South Darfur. The displaced in government IDP camps have been targeted by Janjaweed and government soldiers for further rape, robbery, extortion and killings, according to testimonies of displaced persons. Human Rights Watch said that measures under discussion for protection of civilians contemplate identifying “safe areas,” to be secured by Sudan police forces that include members of the Janjaweed militias who may have been responsible for crimes against humanity now redeployed to protect the same civilians they forcibly and violently displaced. Real protection of civilians can only occur when the Janjaweed—believed to number some 20,000— are placed under guard instead of being used to guard more than one million internally displaced persons in 140 sites registered by the World Food Program. Human Rights Watch called for restitution for the victims of the Janjaweed-Sudanese government attacks and #####ng. A sequential study of satellite images should establish movements in and out of the camps of vast quantities of stolen property, including furniture, vehicles and livestock. “The livestock is many Darfurians’ livelihood,” said Takirambudde. “The theft and destruction of homes, furniture, vehicles, crops and livestock is absolutely devastating.” Human Rights Watch said that no militia, army or police force has any business possessing, trading or warehousing such goods. All items in each Janjaweed camp should be inventoried and preserved under neutral control, for eventual return to their rightful owners. NAMES AND DETAILS OF JANJAWEED CAMPS IN DARFUR Listed below are the 16 camps (camp names are given by victims and rebels). Human Rights Watch noted that the list is not exhaustive and refers mainly to camps in West and North Darfur. Other Janjaweed camps, not in the list below, that have been identified include Mistiriyah, the main base for Janjaweed militia leader Musa Hilal located outside Kebkabiya town, and new camps that have been established over the past three months, including at Saraf Omra in North Darfur; Mercoondi in South Darfur; and Um Dukhun, Buram, and Abugradil in West Darfur. USTANI Location: west of Serif Omra (also the location of an IDP camp), near Hashaba, on the road between Geneina and Kebkabiya, West Darfur Opened: June 2003 Composition: Janjaweed commanders (very few fighters) and not less than 200 Sudanese government troops Name of Janjaweed commander: Ahmed Jeladi Structure: Houses and tents, airstrip for helicopter (only the Sudan government has helicopters and aircraft) Notable for: First Janjaweed camp opened; Janjaweed headquarters for all North Darfur (Darfur was previously divided into North and South Darfur, and this headquarters has jurisdiction over the old North Darfur, including most of an area that is now West Darfur) JEBEL KAYA Location: 30 kilometers east of Geneina, between Geneina and Hashaba, West Darfur, in the mountains Opened: June 2003 Composition: Janjaweed only, number unknown Structure: airstrip for helicopter Notable for: Janjaweed headquarters for West Darfur; livestock stolen in North and West Darfur kept here. Most Janjaweed camps are provided with sheep from this location, and the sheep are sometimes transported by helicopter to other camps. GIRGIGIRGI Location: 85 kilometers northeast of Geneina, West Darfur Opened: September 2003 Composition: Janjaweed only, number unknown (this was the base of the now-deceased Janjaweed leader Shurkutallah) Structure: old village, civilians driven out DAMRA SHEIKH ABDEL BAGUI Location: 10 kilometers west of Kutum (location of IDP camp), North Darfur Opened: November 2003 Composition: Eighty Janjaweed; unknown number of Sudanese government and/or police Names of Janjaweed commanders: Omda Adam Abdel Jalli, Jedou Adam Abdel Nabi Structure: Tents MASRY Location: 7 kilometers southwest of Kutum (location of IDP camp), North Darfur Opened: August 2003 Composition: Janjaweed and Sudanese government army troops, 500 altogether (majority Janjaweed) Names of Janjaweed commanders (three brothers): Abdel Jabar Abdallah Gibrin Georgi Abdallah Gibrin Hassan Abdallah Gibrin Structure: Old occupied village Equipment: Well equipped, all types of weapons MILLA (30 villages) Location: 75 kilometers northeast of Kebkabiya, North Darfur Composition: Janjaweed only, more than 300 Name of Janjaweed commander: Abdul Wahid (retired government army soldier) Structure: occupied villages, civilians (Fur, Tunjur, Zaghawa) driven out Equipment: six vehicles UM SAYALA (Lumlum, Alku, Hilla Khater, El Haj Oulad Babay, Um Hamnoki villages) (Um Sayala is the location of an IDP camp) Location: 20 kilometers east of Kutum, 5 kilometers west of Um Hiaye, North Darfur Opened: late 2003 Composition: Janjaweed and Sudanese government army troops together totaling 300 Names of Janjaweed commanders: Yohanes Abdallah Jadallah (Itefat tribe) Illei Ahmed Taher (Jallul tribe) Abdelhazim Ibrahim Abdallah Jadallah (Itefat) Mohamad Saleh Ibrahim Abdallah Structure: occupied villages, civilians (Tunjur, Mima) driven out Notable for: More than one hundred villagers reportedly were killed when the camp was installed, sixty-nine in Lumlum alone. Note: visited by African Union ceasefire monitors on July 11, 2004 (the government of Sudan complained of an attack on their forces at Um Sayala on July 3, but the A.U. ceasefire monitors after investigation concluded that no such attack could be verified) FUNU Location: west of Kutum (location of IDP camp), West Darfur Opened: January 2004 Composition: Janjaweed and Sudanese government army troops (separated by a wadi or seasonal riverbed) Numbers: The number of Janjaweed varies but never less than 200; Sudanese government troops, 300. Structures: No tents during the dry season, Janjaweed camp under the trees Equipment: well equipped, most types of weapons the Sudanese government possesses (sometime brought by helicopter) Notable for: Stolen livestock kept here UM HEGLIG Location: northeast of Mellit (east of Kutum; both locations of IDP camps), North Darfur Opened: January 2004 Composition: Janjaweed only, number unknown but high rotation KUMA Location: 60 kilometers east of El Fasher, North Darfur Composition: Janjaweed only, number unknown Structure: camp installed outside the village of Kuma ABU JIDAD Location: 60 kilometers south of Karnoi, West Darfur Opened: May 2004 Composition: Janjaweed only, no less than 500 Structure: Occupied farms (farmers cannot access their houses or fields) Equipment: many weapons and five vehicles provided by the Sudanese government ISHARAYA Location: 75 kilometers south of Nyala, 3 kilometers north of Buram, South Darfur Opened: May 15, 2004 Composition: Janjaweed only, number unknown Structure: occupied farm villages, civilians (Binga, Mima, Kretch, some Masalit) driven out Equipment: three or four cars and horses KURGUE (15 villages), extension of Funu camp Location: 85 kilometers west of Kutum, east of Funu camp, West Darfur Opened: June 2004 Composition: Janjaweed only, about 200 Structure: old occupied villages (well, mosque), civilians (Fur, Zaghawa, Tunjur) driven out Equipment: well equipped by Sudanese government; trucks, horses, and camels ASSALAYA Location: east of Nyala, 40 kilometers west of Ed Da’ein, 5 kilometers north of an Sudanese government army base, South Darfur Opened: July 2004 Composition: Janjaweed and Sudanese government army troops, numbers unknown Structure: airstrip for helicopter Equipment: same as government army troops RAZALLAH JAWAZAT Location: east of Nyala, 8 kilometers west of Ed Da’ein, South Darfur Opened: July 2004 Composition: Janjaweed only, 200 Structure: occupied villages, civilians (Borgo, Bergid, Sam Tama, Berti) driven out Equipment: vehicles, horses, and some camels TAISHA Location: 17 kilometers east of Nyala (IDP camps in Intifida and Kalma, east of Nyala), west of Labadu, South Darfur Opened: July 2004 Composition: Janjaweed only, number unknown Structure: occupied villages, civilians (Dayo ethnic group) driven out The Sudanese government promised to disarm and neutralize the Janjaweed—also referred to as “militias”—in the following agreements: 1. Agreement on Humanitarian Ceasefire on the Conflict in Darfur, April 8, 2004 Article 6: “The parties shall ensure that all armed groups under their control comply with this agreement. The Sudanese Government shall commit itself to neutralize the armed militias.” 2. Agreement Between the Government of Sudan, The Sudan Liberation Movement, and the Justice and Equality Movement, April 25, 2004 Article 4 (d): “the Government of Sudan shall ensure that armed militia are neutralized and disarmed in the framework of a programme to be determined”. 3. Joint Communiqué between the Government of Sudan and the United Nations, July 3, 2004 Article 3: On Security commits the government of Sudan to “Immediately start to disarm the Janjaweed and other armed outlaw groups.” 4. Darfur Plan of Action signed by the Government of Sudan and the U.N. Special Representative of the Secretary-General Jan Pronk, August 6, 2004 Article 4: Control and restrain activities by armed militias. “The Government of Sudan would identify and declare those militias over whom it has influence and instruct them to cease their activities forthwith and lay down their weapons”. For further information, please contact: In New York, Jemera Rone: +1-202-368-5414 In Amsterdam, Leslie Lefkow: +31-20-486-2881 The following Human Rights Watch reports are available online: “Empty Promises? Continuing Abuses in Darfur Sudan” http://hrw.org/backgrounder/africa/sudan/2004/ “Darfur Documents Confirm Government Policy of Militia Support” http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/07/19/darfur9096.htm “Darfur Destroyed” http://hrw.org/reports/2004/sudan0504/ “Darfur in Flames: Atrocities in Western Sudan” http://hrw.org/reports/2004/sudan0404/ -- Jemera Rone Sudan/Uganda researcher, East Africa/Horn coordinator Human Rights Watch, 1630 Connecticut Ave NW, # 500, Washington, DC 20009 202-612-4328; Nicholas Galletti, associate, 202-612-4347; reception 202-612-4321; fax 202-612-4333 email: [email protected] Darfur page: http://hrw.org/doc?t=africa&c=darfur Sudan page: http://www.hrw.org/africa/sudan.php Sudan, Oil, and Human Rights: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/sudan1103/[/QUOTE] To be translated for the general benefit Later