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'Janjaweed leader' is Sudan aide 'Janjaweed leader' is Sudan aide
(1 day later)
The Sudanese authorities have given a senior government position to a man accused of co-ordinating the Janjaweed Arab militia in Darfur.The Sudanese authorities have given a senior government position to a man accused of co-ordinating the Janjaweed Arab militia in Darfur.
The minister of federal affairs, Abdel Basit Sabderat, said clan leader Musa Hilal had been named as his adviser. Federal Affairs Minister Abdel Basit Sabderat said clan leader Musa Hilal had been named as his adviser.
The US State Department and human rights groups say Mr Hilal is a leader of the Janjaweed, which is accused of committing war crimes in Darfur.The US State Department and human rights groups say Mr Hilal is a leader of the Janjaweed, which is accused of committing war crimes in Darfur.
There have been repeated delays in deploying a joint UN-AU force there. He denies the accusations and blames the violence on Darfur rebel groups.
Only 9,000 out of a planned 26,000 have been sent. More than 200,000 people have died in Darfur and two-thirds of the surviving population rely on humanitarian assistance.
Tens of thousands of people have died in Darfur and two-thirds of the surviving population rely on humanitarian assistance. 'Slap in the face'
Setback for peace Human Rights Watch (HRW) has strongly condemned Mr Hilal's appointment.
Mr Hilal told Reuters news agency he would be based in Khartoum but might have to travel to outlying regions. "Musa Hilal is the poster child for Janjaweed atrocities in Darfur," said HRW's Richard Dicker.
BBC Africa editor Mary Harper says his appointment indicates that the authorities in Khartoum are not prepared to make compromises in the face of strong international pressure. class="" href="/1/hi/programmes/panorama/4007191.stm">Hilal denies genocide
Mr Hilal has said deaths in Darfur are simply repercussions of a war started by rebel groups to whom he is opposed. "Rewarding him with a special government post is a slap in the face to Darfur victims and to the UN Security Council," he said, pointing out that Mr Hilal was under a UN travel ban for his role in Darfur.
His appointment as a ministerial adviser will be seen as another set-back in the faltering peace process in Darfur, and is likely to increase rebel suspicions about the motivations of the authorities in Khartoum. Mr Hilal, an Arab clan leader, told Reuters news agency he would be based in Khartoum but might have to travel to outlying regions.
The latest move by the Sudanese government will not encourage those in Darfur who rely on humanitarian aid for their survival, our correspondent says. He has said he has simply mobilised Arab clans to defend against rebel attacks.
Correspondents say his appointment as a ministerial adviser will be seen as another set-back in the faltering peace process in Darfur, and is likely to increase rebel suspicions about the motivations of the authorities in Khartoum.
The International Criminal Court last year issued an arrest warrant against a junior government minister and another Arab clan leader.
The government has denied backing the Janjaweed.
There have been repeated delays in deploying a joint UN-AU peacekeeping force to Darfur, with accusations that the government is trying to block them.
Only 9,000 troops out of a planned 26,000 are currently in place.