Elisabeth Janaina
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SPLM-N says three government prisoners belong to Boko Haram
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March 6, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The rebel Sudan People’s Liberation
Movement/North (SPLM-N) disclosed it holds three foreign fighters from
the militant Islamist group Boko Haram saying some government
prisoners chose not to return to Khartoum.
JPEG - 24.2 kb
Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, appears in a video in which he
warns Cameroon it faces the same fate as Nigeria (File Photo AFP)
125 former Sudanese Prisoners of War (POWs) and detainees Sunday
arrived in Khartoum after they were released by the SPLM-N.
The release operation, nicknamed “Goodwill”, was mediated by Ugandan
President Yoweri Museveni. Also, the South Sudanese government
authorised to transport the released persons from its territory
Kampala.
In a statement released on Saturday, SPLM-N said it will release all
the 132 POWs and detainees from government forces.
However, on Sunday it said that they decided to keep three in jail for
reasons that they cannot disclose now also the others preferred not to
return to Khartoum.
A senior official from the SPLM-N on Monday told Sudan Tribune on the
condition of anonymity that some prisoners decided to stay in the
rebel-held areas and join the Movement.
He pointed that the SPLM-N continues to hold 3 foreign fighters who
were captured during clashes with the government troops, saying they
“belong to Boko Haram”.
The same official added that the SPLM-N is interrogating those foreign
fighters to find out why they entered Sudan and fought against the
Movement.
Boko Haram, which refers to itself as “Jama‘atu Ahl as-Sunnah
li-Da‘awati wal-Jihad” is a Nigeria-based group that seeks to
overthrow the current Nigerian government and replace it with a regime
based on Islamic law.
South Kordofan state and the neighbouring Blue Nile state have been
the scene of violent conflict between the SPLM-N and Sudanese army
since 2011.
Talks between the two sides for a cessation of hostilities and
humanitarian access are stalled since last August.
(ST)