Rhino: Agencies – The Kanabi Conference praised the decision of the European Union and its international partners to impose sanctions on the leader of the Sudan Shield militia “Abu Aqla Kikel”, and considered it an important development towards achieving international justice, pointing out in a statement that the decision is “a clear recognition of the magnitude of the tragedy inflicted on the communities of agricultural workers”, and the residents of “Kanabi” in the center of the country.

The statement emphasized that the Sudan Shield militia, led by Kickel, committed brutal crimes against the Kanabi population, including ethnic cleansing, genocide, and systematic human rights violations.

The statement reads: “No peace or justice will be achieved without holding the perpetrators accountable, especially Kikel, who must be brought to a fair trial that guarantees justice for the victims and affected communities of the Kanabi people, reaffirming that justice will not be statute-barred and that every criminal, no matter how long it takes, will be tried for his crimes.”

The EU held Kickel responsible for the targeting of al-Kanabi, marginalized villages built from rudimentary materials that surround major cities in Gezira State, home to the country’s largest agricultural project.