Khartoum governor says PDF vital in fending off security threats
* Article
* Comments (2)
email Email
print Print
pdfSave
separation
increase
decrease
separation
separation
*
*
*
*
March 17, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The governor of Khartoum state
Abdel-Rahman Al-Khidir stressed that the Popular Defense Forces (PDF)
has an important role to play in deterring security threats against
the country.
Al-Khidir spoke at an event in Omdurman Islamic University
commemorating the 14th anniversary of a battle between the PDF and a
force from the Sudan people Liberation Army (SPLA) attempting to take
over Southern Sudan capital of Juba during the civil war years.
82 PDF fighters are believed to have been killed at the time and 33 of
them were from the university.
The Khartoum governor said that 37,000 PDF members not only protect
the nation but also contribute to development projects. He added that
the state is working to match the university graduates to job
opportunities.
The PDF role has largely been diminished since the 2005 Comprehensive
Peace Agreement between the North and South. The latter is set to
break away next July after its citizens decided to establish their own
state in the self-determination right afforded to them by the peace
accord.
However, many reports indicated that the PDF has been part of
government forces battling Darfur rebels since the conflict broke out
in 2003. Khartoum was blamed for mass atrocities against civilians in
the course of the military operations.
At least 300,000 people have been killed in Darfur and 1.8 million
people forced to flee their homes since non-Arab rebels first rose up
against the Arab-dominated Khartoum regime, the United Nations says.
Two years ago the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest
warrant for Sudan’s President Omer Hassan al-Bashir to face charges of
committing genocide during the country’s seven-year Darfur conflict,
including seven counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The governor of South Kordofan Ahmed Haroun and militia leader Ali
Kushayb also face ICC charges for their roles in the Darfur conflict.
All three refused to surrender to the court.
(ST)
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD
info" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected].
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
