SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Reuters – Sudanese militia leader Musa Hilal freed after pardon

15/3/2021: Reuters –  Sudanese militia leader Musa Hilal freed after pardon

Reuters report that Musa Hilal, a Sudanese militia leader accused by rights groups of atrocities in Darfur, was released from a Khartoum prison following a pardon by Sudan’s ruling council.

Human rights groups accused Hilal of coordinating Arab militias blamed for atrocities during a conflict in Darfur that left an estimated 300,000 dead and 2.5 million displaced. Hilal has previously denied responsibility for atrocities, saying he mobilised his tribesmen to defend their lands after a government call to popular defence against non-Arab rebels.

Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Himedti and Hilal, who both hail from the Rizeigat tribe, remain in competition for political and economic influence in Darfur. Both have held gold mining interests in the region.

Despite Hilal’s detention, many of the Arab militias still active in Darfur remain loyal to him, and he remains leader of the Sudanese Revolutionary Awakening Council movement.