Sudan Liberation Movement/Army facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sudan Liberation Movement |
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| Participant in the Sudanese Civil Wars and other North and East African conflicts | |
 
Logo and flag of the SLM/A
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| Active | 2002–present |
| Leaders |
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| Area of operations | Western Sudan (mostly Darfur), northern South Sudan, southern Libya |
| Part of | Sudan Revolutionary Front |
| Allies |  Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (SLA-Unity; until 2011) South Sudan (SLA-MM and SLA-AW) |
| Battles and wars |
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The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) is a rebel group in Sudan. It is also known as the SLM or SLA. This group is mostly active in the Darfur region of Sudan. It was started as the Darfur Liberation Front. Its first members came from three local groups in Darfur: the Fur, the Zaghawa, and the Masalit. Key leaders included Abdul Wahid al-Nur and Minni Minnawi.
Contents
How the SLM/A Started
In 1989, General Omar al-Bashir and the National Islamic Front took over the government of Sudan. Many people in Darfur, especially those who were not Arab, felt left out. They felt they were not treated fairly.
In 2000, a book called The Black Book was published. It showed how non-Arab people in Sudan did not have equal rights or power. This made people's feelings of unfairness even stronger.
In 2002, Abdul Wahid al-Nur, a lawyer, and Ahmad Abdel Shafi Bassey, a student, started the Darfur Liberation Front. This group later became the Sudan Liberation Movement. They said they wanted to help all people in Sudan who were being treated unfairly.
Plane Hijacking in 2008
In August 2008, a plane with 100 people on board was hijacked. Members of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) were involved. The plane was flying from Nyala in Darfur to Khartoum. The hijackers forced it to fly to Kufra, a town in southern Libya.
SLM leader Abdul Wahid al-Nur was living in Paris at the time. He said he was not involved in the hijacking. He also said he did not agree with using hijackings to get attention. The 95 passengers and 5 crew members were all released safely. The hijackers were held by Libyan authorities.
Libya's Role
Before Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in Libya in 2011, the Libyan army supported parts of the SLM/A. Later, some SLM/A fighters joined the Second Libyan Civil War. They fought for different groups in Libya to earn money and equipment.
For example, the SLM/A-Minnawi group worked with the Libyan National Army. They fought together in the Battle of Derna (2018–2019). In January 2019, the SLM/A-Minnawi also clashed with a rebel group from Chad in southern Libya.
Different Groups and Factions
The Sudan Liberation Movement has split into several smaller groups, or "factions." Each faction has its own leader and sometimes different goals.
Sudan Liberation Movement (Minnawi)
This group is led by Minni Minnawi. In 2006, they signed a peace agreement for Darfur. Minnawi was in charge of the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority from 2007 to 2010. His group later left the peace agreement in 2011.
The SLM-Minnawi group has fought in Darfur and other parts of Sudan. They also fought for the government in the South Sudanese Civil War. This group took part in the Sudanese peace talks in 2019.
Sudan Liberation Movement (al-Nur)
This group was formed in 2006 and is led by Abdul Wahid al Nur. They did not agree with the 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement. The SLM/A (al-Nur) does not officially want Darfur to be independent. Both men and women fight in this group.
They also fought for the government in the South Sudanese Civil War. As of 2021, this group controls an area in the Marrah Mountains. About 300,000 people live there. The area is mostly separate from the rest of Sudan. The group runs a government there, trains new fighters, and has built schools for children.
The SLM/A (al-Nur) did not join the 2019 Sudanese peace process. They said that other groups were still attacking people in Darfur. They also felt that the new government included too many old leaders. Fighting between this group and government forces continued in 2021.
Sudan Liberation Forces Alliance
The SLFA was created in July 2017. It brought together parts of other rebel groups. El-Taher Abu Bakr Hajar was the leader of the SLFA. In March 2021, El Taher Hajar became a member of Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council. This was part of a peace agreement.
Sudan Liberation Movement-Transitional Council
As of March 2019, the SLM-TC was led by El-Hadi Idris Yahya. This group broke away from the SLM (al-Nur). They were against talking with the Sudanese president at the time. In March 2021, El-Hadi Idris also became a member of Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council. This was part of the same peace agreement.
Sudan Liberation Movement (Tambour)
The SLM (Tambour) was formed in 2018. Its leader, Mustafa Tambour, split from the SLM (al-Nur). In July 2023, the SLM (Tambour) announced that its fighters had joined the Sudanese Armed Forces. They are fighting against another group called the Rapid Support Forces. Tambour's brother had been killed by the Rapid Support Forces earlier.
Peace Agreement in 2020
On August 31, 2020, Minni Minawi signed a peace agreement. He signed it for the Sudan Liberation Movement with the government of Sudan. This means the group will now work to help Sudan become a democracy peacefully.
Under this agreement, the groups that signed will get seats in the government. They will have three seats on the sovereignty council. They will also have five ministers in the government and a quarter of the seats in the parliament. At a local level, they will get 30 to 40% of the seats in their home states or regions.
Sudan Conflict in 2023
The SLM (al-Nur) group has taken control of an area around the town of Tawila. This happened after both government forces and the Rapid Support Forces left the region. This area includes several villages in North, South, and Central Darfur.
In January 2024, leaders from groups that signed the Juba Peace Agreement met in Cairo. They suggested that a ceasefire agreement should be put into action. This agreement would mean that all Rapid Support Forces would leave Darfur.
On March 24, 2024, Minawi announced that his SLM group would join the Sudanese Armed Forces. They will fight against the Rapid Support Forces. SLM forces plan to move towards the center of the country. Their goal is to push the Rapid Support Forces out of Khartoum and Gezira State.
See also
In Spanish: Movimiento de Liberación de Sudán para niños
