Sudan repatriates seven female ‘ISIS members’ from Libya
Al Arabiya, 5 April 2018
Sudanese
security agents on Wednesday brought home from Libya seven Sudanese women who
they said were members of the militant ISIS group.
security agents on Wednesday brought home from Libya seven Sudanese women who
they said were members of the militant ISIS group.
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| A Sudanese female member of the ISIS speaks to journalists after a group was brought to Khartoum on April 4, 2018 from Libya where they had gone three years ago to join the militant group. (AFP) |
The seven
women, dressed in traditional Sudanese clothes and wearing headscarves, were
shown to journalists at Khartoum airport where they were welcomed by their
relatives amid chants of “Allahu Akbar”.
Three
children were also brought along with the women, an AFP correspondent reported.
children were also brought along with the women, an AFP correspondent reported.
The
group, which included twin sisters, had arrived from the Libyan city of
Misrata, security officials said.
group, which included twin sisters, had arrived from the Libyan city of
Misrata, security officials said.
“The
seven women were members of ISIS and some had even participated in fighting on
the battlefield,” Brigadier Tijani Ibrahim of Sudan’s powerful National
Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) told AFP.
seven women were members of ISIS and some had even participated in fighting on
the battlefield,” Brigadier Tijani Ibrahim of Sudan’s powerful National
Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) told AFP.
The women
had gone to Libya in 2014 and 2015 to join the militant group, Ibrahim told
reporters, as the women stood in a line against a wall with their heads bowed.
had gone to Libya in 2014 and 2015 to join the militant group, Ibrahim told
reporters, as the women stood in a line against a wall with their heads bowed.
“Thanks
to Allah, we have returned to our country,” said one of the women, who made a
brief statement to reporters and did not give her name.
to Allah, we have returned to our country,” said one of the women, who made a
brief statement to reporters and did not give her name.
Ibrahim
said experts will talk to the women to understand what made them join ISIS.
said experts will talk to the women to understand what made them join ISIS.
“After
that, we will try to reintegrate them into the Sudanese society,” he said.
that, we will try to reintegrate them into the Sudanese society,” he said.
The group
was welcomed by relatives waiting at a hall inside the airport, some of whom
cried and hugged the women when they were brought in by security agents.
was welcomed by relatives waiting at a hall inside the airport, some of whom
cried and hugged the women when they were brought in by security agents.
A
relative of one of the three children brought along with the women said that
her father had taken her two brothers to Libya three years ago.
relative of one of the three children brought along with the women said that
her father had taken her two brothers to Libya three years ago.
“My
father took them telling them that they were going for a trip,” she told AFP on
condition of anonymity. “One of my two brothers and my father were killed in
Libya.”
father took them telling them that they were going for a trip,” she told AFP on
condition of anonymity. “One of my two brothers and my father were killed in
Libya.”
Sudanese
officials say dozens of young Sudanese men and women had joined ISIS over the
past few years.
officials say dozens of young Sudanese men and women had joined ISIS over the
past few years.
Several
groups of students from Sudan — some holding Western passports — had traveled
to Syria, Iraq and Libya to join the group.
groups of students from Sudan — some holding Western passports — had traveled
to Syria, Iraq and Libya to join the group.
Sudanese
media has reported the deaths of some of the students while fighting for the
group in the three countries.
media has reported the deaths of some of the students while fighting for the
group in the three countries.
In 2017,
Sudanese security agents brought home a four-month-old baby girl whose parents
were killed in Libya while fighting for the militant group.
Sudanese security agents brought home a four-month-old baby girl whose parents
were killed in Libya while fighting for the militant group.
