Musa Hilal

Who is Musa Hilal?

Musa Hilal is a Sudanese Arab militia leader and adviser to the Sudanese minister of internal affairs. He was born in 1961. His family exercised tribal leadership of the Arab Mahameed clan in Darfur. Hilal is the leader of the Janjaweed militia, which was responsible for a massive military campaign against civilians in Darfur in 2003, as part of a counterinsurgency effort against Darfur rebel groups. On 21 January 2008, the Federal Government of Sudan announced the nomination of Musa Hilal as the chief advisor of the Ministry of Federal Affairs in Sudan. This position allows Mr. Hilal to coordinate with regional leaders surrounding Darfur, as well as with Arab tribal groups, on the relations of the military regime. This political position further permits the military leader power over decisions made in Khartoum pertaining the recruitment of Janjaweed militias. In January 2014 Hilal defected from Sudan's ruling National Congress Party, and launched a new movement known as the Sudanese Awakening Revolutionary Council.