The governor of the Darfur region, Minni Arko Minawi, on Sunday called on the residents of Darfur (consisting of 5 states) of all categories to take up arms to protect their property.
Minawi said in a tweet via Twitter that attacks on citizens have multiplied, accusing unnamed parties of compromising the safety and rights of citizens, and deliberately sabotaging national institutions.
"I call on all our honorable citizens, the people of Darfur, young and old, women and men, to take up arms to protect their property, and we the struggle movements will support them in all cases of defense," he said.
Attacks on citizens have multiplied, and many do not want the safety and rights of citizens, deliberately sabotage national institutions, so, I call on all our honorable citizens "the people of Darfur", young and old, women and men, I call on them to take up arms to protect their property, and we struggle movements will support them in all cases of defense.
— Mini Arko Minawi. | Mona Arko Minawi (@ArkoMinawi) May 28, 2023
A number of Darfuri cities have witnessed heavy fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which has led to dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries since clashes began between the two sides in Khartoum and other states in mid-April.
The cities of Nyala, El Geneina and El Fasher in the region also witnessed chaos, looting and the burning of government and civilian headquarters.
The call also comes after Minawi announced that his forces, known as the Sudan Liberation Movement, had left the capital Khartoum on May 8 for Darfur.
The movement is one of the largest Darfur movements to sign a peace agreement with Khartoum in October 2020 and has taken a neutral stance in the current conflict between the military and the RSF.
Weapons are spread in large quantities in Darfur among citizens, within the framework of periodic tribal conflicts in the region, and successive governments in Khartoum have tried to collect weapons from citizens, for their role in fueling tribal conflict, but to little avail.
There was no immediate comment from Sudan's military on Minawi's invitation.
Since April 15, Sudan has been witnessing clashes between the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo "Hemedti", including the capital Khartoum and other cities in the north and west of the country, following disputes between them, which resulted in large human and material losses.