| Country: | Sudan |
| Details of Formation: | In June 1992, Lt-Gen Awad Khawjali, General Commandant of the police forces issued a decree to form a committee to study the idea of establishing a popular police force and how such a force might function and which role it would fulfill. In November 1992, al-Bashir, then Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council and the Council of Ministers mentioned the People’s Police in speech. By then, the People’s Police Law had recently been approved by the Council of Ministers. |
| Details of Termination: | There is no evidence that this PGM was terminated. It was last mentioned as active in 2012, with no evidence for 2013 or 2014. |
| Purpose: | The main purpose of the People’s Police was to support the regular police and preserve security. Additionally, it should propagate Islamic values and contribute to establishing a Muslim society. It was built to be the police counterpart to the army linked Popular Defence Forces, which were considered a success. Since 2002, the People’s Police were also used by the government to assist the army against the SPLM/A rebels. While the government officially said that the People’s Police was a neighbourhood watch, foreign diplomats rather suggest that they were used to check on the regular police. A news source form 1992 suggests that the People’s Police should compensate the lack of manpower of the regular police. |
| Organisation: | The People’s Police was formalized in the Police Force Act of 1992, which outlined their duties and obligations. Their main duties were to patrol residential areas and markets, protect the environment and to act as civil defense in the event of disasters, as well as any other duty entrusted to it. They were not a substitute for the regular police. Members enjoyed immunity granted to the police. It was organized by a coordinating office. In 1996, the general coordinator was Muhammad Hatim, in 2006 it was Abdallah Muhammad and in 2012 it was Hashim Muhammad Nur. In 2002, when People’s Police were sent to fight in Darfur, Defence Minister Bekri Hassan Salih, Interior Minister Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein and senior police officials saw them off at their departure. President Bashir mentioned the People’s Police in several speeches. In 2012, general coordinator Hashim Muhammad Nur reported to the interior minister that the People’s Police was ready to be mobilized, which might point to an organizational structure involving the interior ministry. |
| Weapons and Training: | Recruits for the People’s Police were trained in training camps organized by the group’s general coordinating office. |
| Size: | In 1993 alone, 120 stations of the People’s Police were established in Khartoum. A news source from 1996 mentions that 5,000 people’s policemen were trained. The responsible coordinator stated that training would continue until 40,000 people were trained to become members of the People’s Police. In 2006, Abdallah Muhammad, then general coordinator of the People’s Police said he could send further fighters to Darfur were already 9,000 worked. |
| Reason for Membership: | -- |
| Treatment of Civilians: | The French military attaché in Sudan, Jacques Francois, commended the People’s Police as a social body to protect civilians for their combating crime. |
| Other Information: | The People's Police is alternatively called Popular Police Force (PPF), United People's Police (UPP) and sometimes "mujahidin". |
| References: | Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD |