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UNAMID to help Sudan gather illegal weapons in Darfur

November 10, 2017 at 9:00 am

The head of the United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), Jeremiah Mamabolo announced yesterday that the mission is ready to provide support for Sudan’s campaign to collect illegal firearms in Darfur.

The remarks came during a meeting with Sudanese Vice President Hasabo Abdul Rahman yesterday at the Republican Palace in Khartoum, the Sudanese news agency reported.

The agency did not give details on the nature of the support.

“The mission welcomes the arms collection campaign in Darfur,” Mambolo said, adding that collecting the illegal weapons is the strongest guarantee to preserve peace, stability and security and will enable the people to exercise their normal lives.

The agency explained that Abdul Rahman briefed the UNAMID chief on the arms collection campaign’s progress.

Read: Tension in South Sudan capital after bid to disarm detained ex-army chief

On Saturday, UNAMID called to cooperate with the Sudanese authorities in its campaign in the refugee camps in Darfur after government forces stormed a refugee camp in Darfur by force to collect weapons.

The mission noted the importance of the ongoing arms collection process, but regretted that government forces entered the camp without coordinating with it.

In August, Sudan launched a campaign to collect illegal firearms, ammunition and unlicensed vehicles in Darfur.

There are no official estimates on the number of weapons owned by tribes in Darfur, however unofficial reports estimate them at hundreds of thousands.