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The man whose name summons up memories of some of the worst violence committed during the conflict in Darfur tells MARY FITZGERALDhow he secured the release of Goal workers Sharon Commins and Hilda Kawuki from a group he describes as ‘bandits’

IN DARFUR, they say little happens without Musa Hilal knowing about it. As chief of the region’s largest Arab tribe, Hilal is a man who inspires awe and fear in equal measure. His allies speak of him in reverential tones, testament to the considerable clout he wields both in Darfur and Khartoum. But for others in the troubled corner of western Sudan whose name has become synonymous with one of the most devastating humanitarian crises this century, even the merest mention of Hilal summons up memories of some of the worst violence committed during a conflict that has cost the lives of some 300,000 people.