SalaaMedia Reports
Escaping from conflict zones is not easy, it can mark the beginning of a new suffering in search of safety. Darfur civilians are facing major challenges throughout the current war in Sudan, while fleeing areas under artillery shelling, airstrikes and fierce battles. Civilians of Al-Fashir have been fleeing war consequences, which continued for more than eight months. Among those fleeing the hell of war is Mrs. Arafa Adam, who was forced to leave the sheltering center in Al-Fashir, where she was staying and relocated to areas controlled by the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM)- Abdul Wahid Mohamed Nur in Jabal Marra. “After spending two days on top of an overcrowded truck, we managed to reach Rokiirow in Jabal Marra”, says Arafa, describing her journey from AL-Fashir. She further said: “The journey was not easy. We faced many challenges, including lack of food and water, which made us worry about our health and that of our children”. Similarly, another IDP, Mr. Suleiman Ibrahim, explained that traveling between mountainous areas to reach Jabal Marra is very challenging, adding; “Families are forced to walk for days in very hard conditions facing harsh winter, making the journey more difficult“. Suleiman elaborated that; some IDPs prefer to travel by truck as it offers them some comfort, while others choose to walk due to lack of transportation means and money in addition to their suffering. “Many children and women are suffering from physical exhaustion and hunger, and some are forced to abandon their belongings or even family members“, he added.
IDP Camps in SLM-controlled Areas in Jabal Marra
Tawila, Daba Nayra, Fanga, Galol
Influx of IDPs
Despite the difficulties facing those fleeing conflict zones to Jabal Marra, SLM-controlled areas received about 3,675 displaced families in the last three months. However, the number of displaced families from other areas in the region to Jabal Marra, has exceeded 93,000 families since April 2023.
Military Alliance
The Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), led by Abdel Wahid Mohamed Nur, and the Gathering of Sudan Liberation Forces (GSLF), led by El Tahir Hajar, declared their formation of a neutral force to protect civilians, secure humanitarian and commercial convoys, and facilitate the movement of IDPs. This military alliance is based on a political declaration signed by the leadership of the two movements on October 1, 2023, in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. Prior to the establishment of the joint forces a series of meetings were held between the two movements’ chiefs of staff, Ahmed Abu-Tinga and Yusuf Karjakula, in Jabal Marra from September 26 to 30, 2023. Article 6 of the political declaration signed by the two movements stipulates the formation of a neutral military alliance to protect civilians and commercial convoys and to secure the movement of civilians and humanitarian workers. SLM emphasised that the force will protect civilians and secure convoys in areas controlled by the two movements, and they will be funded through the movement’s entities, nor any third party.
Legal Basis
The International Humanitarian Law stipulates that civilians under the control of any party to a conflict must be protected from all forms of violence and degrading treatment, including torture and killing; while articles 4 and 15 of the Geneva Convention necessitates the protection of civilians during wars as it requires each party to establish neutralized zones for the purpose of protecting civilians from hostilities without distinction.
Protection of Civilians
As an effect to Darfur’s war of 2003, the United Nations and the African Union deploy a joint peacekeeping force (UNAMID). The mission was mandated to protect civilians and ensure safe delivery of humanitarian aid to the region. However, by mid- 2021 the mission’s mandate came to an end. Prior to the mission’s departure, the country’s transitional government on January 1, 2021, declared the formation of a National Mechanism to undertake civilian protection. In a related development, the same Government agreed with Darfur armed movements to deploy a 12,000-strong force for the protection of civilians in the region based on the provisions of Title II, Chapter 8, Article (29) of Juba Peace Agreement. The 12000 troops were to fill the security vacuum following the departure of UNAMID forces, beside creating a conducive environment for humanitarian assistance as well as protecting civilians.
Early 2023, the Civilians Protection Force was deployed to Darfur states, but never functioned due to the eruption of war on April 15, 2023. In August 2023, a neutral joint force of five armed movements was formed to protect civilians and secure humanitarian aid convoys from Kosti in the White Nile State to Darfur. However, some of the movements that formed the force deviated from neutrality and opted to fight alongside the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Now, two movements remained neutral, including the GSLF, which recently joined the SLM to form the new Civilian Protection Force.
Joint Action
In the past the two movements (GSLF and SLM) carried out a joint activity in June 2024, evacuating thousands of citizens from Al-Fahir to SLM-controlled areas, when the fighting intensified between SAF and its allies against RSF. Tahir Hajar, the head of GSLF, stated on his Facebook page that; their forces escorted hundreds of trucks transporting IDPs from Zamzam camp to Tawila locality.
On the other hand, Mohammed al-Nayer, SLM spokesman, told SalaaMedia that the alliance formed by his movement and GSLF is not a rigid alliance. It welcomes any party that believes in its principles and goals, meaning, they can cooperate with any party that believes in protection of civilians and recognizes what is stated in the political declaration of the alliance. He pointed out that the scope of the joint force is limited to the areas controlled by the two movements or wherever accessible. Responding to a question prompted by SalaaMedia, al-Nayer rolled-out any communication with the warring parties regarding coordination. He further explained that the declared force is significant and well-armed to carry out its stated duties of protecting civilians, adding: “It is an initial force and will increase quantitatively and qualitatively upon need and time“.
Third Party
While carrying-out its first operation, the Neutral Civilian Protection Force (NCP) was ambushed by an armed force near Kabkabiya town in North Darfur, an RSF-controlled area. In a statement, NCP blamed RSF for the incident. The force was escorting a convoy of more than a hundred trucks loaded with thousands of civilians fleeing the horrors of war to safe areas in North Darfur. NCP stated that the attack killed and injured several civilians as well as members among the force. From its side, RSFexpressed its sadness upon the incident and referred to a third party who might have carried out the attack. In a statement by its spokesperson, RSF promised to form a joint committee to investigate the incident and called for more coordination with the neutral force at all levels to avoid similar incidents in the future.
The move to form a neutral force by the armed movements in Darfur to ensure safe exit of civilians from conflict areas, besides securing humanitarian aid and commercial convoys in the region, seems appreciable, despite challenges ahead of them. Perhaps, such challenges make its duties difficult, while exposing the lives of fleeing civilians to more risks due to the spread of different and complex armed groups. Considering the similarity of the newly formed neutral force to the joint forces fighting against RSF, and other armed groups similar to RSF in composition, which may not adhere to future coordination process of movement of the neutral forces; such may lead to armed confrontations which would victimize civilians. Within such a situation, local and international cooperation is very crucial in order to implement international humanitarian law, ensure protection of civilians, promote security and stability, and deliver humanitarian aid. Nevertheless, If the armed groups in Darfur are concerned about protecting civilians, they must abide by the international humanitarian law and coordinate efficiently with each other to avoid exposing civilians to risk.