A former member of Sudan's pro-government Arab militias, the Janjaweed, has told the BBC's Newsnight programme that ministers in Khartoum gave orders for the activities of his unit in the Darfur region, which included killings and rape. Following are excerpts of the interview with ex-fighter "Ali", who is now living in London.
'GOVERNMENT ORDERS'
The people who trained us came from the north, from the government. They gave us orders, and they say that after we are trained they will give us guns and ammunition...
They were wearing the uniforms of the military...
I tell you one fact. The Janjaweed don't make decisions. The orders come from the government...
One very well-known and regular visitor was Interior Minister Abdul Rahim Muhammad Hussein.
'KILL!'
We will be split into two groups, one on horses, one on camels...
The aircraft went ahead of the Janjaweed. We saw the smoke, we saw the fire, then we went in...
Whenever we go into a village and find resistance we kill everyone. Sometimes they said wipe out an entire village...
We hear kill! Kill! Kill! And we shoot to kill...
VICTIMS
Most were civilians - most were women...
Innocent people running out and being killed including children. And those who escape will die of thirst. There are many rapes. But they don't do it in front of others. They take the victim away and rape them.
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