Darfur militia leader joins Sudan government

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

1pm GMT
Darfur militia leader joins Sudan government

Xan Rice, East Africa correspondent
Monday January 21, 2008
Guardian Unlimited

A tribal sheikh described as "the poster child
for Janjaweed atrocities in Darfur" has been
given a senior government position by the
Sudanese authorities.

Musa Hilal, who is accused of leading militias
on a state-sponsored campaign to cleanse parts
of Darfur of non-Arab farmers, will act as
special advisor to the minister of federal
government, local media reported.

The appointment was made despite Hilal facing a
United Nations travel ban and sanctions for his
role in the conflict, and ahead of his possible
indictment by the International Criminal Court
for alleged war crimes.

Hilal has admitted recruiting local Janjaweed
militias for the government, but denies personal
involvement in the scorched earth campaign that
has driven more than two million people from
their homes, and seen more than 200,000 people
die.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sudan/story/0,,2244409,00.html

[applegrove]

1. The ICC cannot act too soon.

[Panchojackson]

2. kick n/t