Escalating Disputes Between the Militia and Al-Hilu
By Haj Majid Suwar
Reliable reports indicate mounting tensions between Abdelaziz Adam Abkar Haroun (known as Al-Hilu) and the UAE-backed Janjaweed militia—specifically its deputy commander, Abdelrahim Dagalo.
According to the militia, the dispute stems from Al-Hilu’s failure to mobilize his forces in support of their operations across various fronts in Kordofan. Al-Hilu’s faction, however, attributes the rift to the militia’s refusal to deliver the weapons and funds agreed upon following the signing of the “Ta’sis” Alliance Agreement in Nairobi last February.
The disagreements deepened after a large contingent of Al-Hilu’s fighters in western Dilling defected to the Sudanese Armed Forces last week.
I have previously noted in several commentaries that many of Al-Hilu’s military and political leaders oppose any partnership with the militia on principle, regarding it as a greater adversary than the Sudanese army itself. I also warned that the ground was shifting beneath Abdelaziz’s feet, and that resentment against him was growing by the day—a situation that could culminate in his eventual ouster, just as he once turned against his former comrades Malik Agar and Yasir Arman.
Internal divisions within Al-Hilu’s movement have long been suppressed through harsh measures, with opponents subjected to elimination or imprisonment in underground facilities. In the past, Al-Hilu and Arman conspired against senior SPLM figure and strong rival Telphon Kuku, coordinating with the UN mission and the South Sudanese government to detain him and prevent his release.
Many observers now predict that these disputes could soon reach breaking point, potentially leading to a full split, especially as the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied groups continue to make advances on Kordofan fronts. They argue that if Al-Hilu persists in maintaining his alliance with the militia under pressure from the “manufactured state of evil” (the UAE), his movement will face further defections and internal fractures.
At present, Al-Hilu is unable to visit his capital Kauda, forced instead to shuttle between Juba, Kampala, and Nairobi—for reasons that are all too apparent.
And the days ahead are bound to bring more.
