Kidnapping Groups in Darfur

Kidnappings in Darfur degrade the efforts of the international peacekeepers and aid workers operating in the region. There has been an escalation in kidnapping activity since the International Criminal Court first indicted President al-Bashir for war crimes committed in Darfur. There is a lack of solid evidence indicating who is responsible for the kidnappings, However there is some reporting revealing some of the not so well known groups that have claimed responsibility for some of this criminal activity. The Sudanese government claims the conflict in Darfur is over, but routinely classifies the kidnappings in Darfur as act of banditry. While there are multiple groups listed below, some of them have similar names, which is likely the result of different translations. It remains uncorroborated whether or not the similar groups are in fact the related or not.

A group calling itself Al-Bashir's Eagles (Nusur al-Bashir) allegedly abducted five international aid works from the Doctors Without Borders organization on 11 March 2009.  The captives included a Belgian, a Canadian, an Italian, a Frenchmen and a Sudanese staff member.  Representatives from the group claimed the kidnapping responded to the ICC war crimes indictment of President al-Bashir.

The "Falcons for the Liberation of Africa," or possibly "Eagles for the Freedom of Africa," claimed responsibility for a 4 April 2009 kidnapping of two Aide Medicale Internationale personnel. An unidentified spokesperson stated the group was composed of former rebels and members of Arab tribes in Darfur and the kidnapping was to send a message to the French government to try the people who previously abducted children from Chad.

• Note: The "Free Africans Organization" also claimed responsibility for this same kidnapping. It is likely this is the same group.
  

The "Free Africans Organization" said to be from the Al-Ibala tribe claimed responsibility for the 4 April 2009 kidnapping of two French doctors.  The "Free Africans Organization"  demanded retrial of six French defendants in the Zoe's Ark case (employees of Zoe's Ark had been convicted in December 2007 for trying to take 103 Darfur children to France illegally, but were pardoned on 31 March 2008 by Chadian President Idriss Deby).

The "Eagles of Free Africans" claimed it conducted the 4 April 2009 kidnapping of the two French doctors. The group's spokesperson identified itself through Sudanese press.

• Note: Similar groups claimed responsibility for the April 2009 kidnapping. I believe the "Eagle of Free Africans" is a different translation of the "Falcons for the Liberation of Africa" and/or the "Free Africans Organizations".
  

One press report indicates the "Group for Liberating Sudan from Foreigners" also claimed responsibility for the April 2009 kidnapping.

• Note: Similar groups claimed responsibility for the April 2009 kidnapping. I believe the "Eagle of Free Africans" is a different translation of the "Eagles of Free Africans", the "Falcons for the Liberation of Africa" and/or the "Free Africans Organizations".

On 15 April 2010, a group calling itself the "Movement for the Struggle of the People in Darfur" claimed responsibility for the 11 April 2010 kidnapping of four United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur personnel.

Regardless of the affiliation of the group – whether it is Arab pro-Khartoum youth or government sanctioned, I suspect there is some money being given to these kidnapping groups. I would guess some individuals in Khartoum are likely connected to this kidnapping for ransom enterprise, since Khartoum opposes international peacekeeping effort in Darfur. Unfortunately, kidnappings targeting international peacekeepers and aid workers will continue in the region. Another reason the kidnappings will continue, is there is a lack of a proactive response by Sudanese authorities to prosecute the groups responsible.