2,000 women rally against ‘unfair’ food distribution in Darfur

Frustrated with the “unfair” food distribution to non-displaced persons, 2,000 displaced women staged protests on Tuesday against the organization responsible for providing nourishment to North Darfur camps.   Eleven people were arrested and eight were wounded, when police forces tried dispersing the crowd.Demonstrations took place in front of the main food distribution center of the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS), which residents of camp Dankoj blame for the problems. Two of its employees were wounded.Sources informed Radio Dabanga that the names of 6,000 displaced had “disappeared” from an official list and food rations had not been distributed to them in six months.Although they were aware their names were removed from the record, several women saw non-displaced persons who live in Saraf Omra city receiving food rations from SRCS. The “unjust” food distribution to people who have “absolutely no links” with displaced persons led the 2,000 women to protest against the Sudanese aid agency, sources said.The women were mostly displaced from January’s tribal clashes in the gold mines of Jebel ‘Amer, an activist explained, adding that many of them have lost their husbands during the conflict in North Darfur.For his part, Dankoj’s activist accused local SRCS employees of dropping the 6,000 names “deliberately”, saying they worked in coordination with security authorities to add names to the list of people who are not displaced.”Hungry women”Upon arriving at the food distribution center, the “hungry women”, as they called themselves, broke into the building and began “stealing food and throwing other items around”.Sources said the women also smashed the windows of cars belonging to foreign aid workers what caused SRCS workers to call the police.Officers “acted with great force” to disperse protesters, an eyewitness pointed out. “They first fired gunshots in the air and then began using physical force against the women”, an activist said.The wounded victims are currently receiving treatment at the Saraf Omra hospital and the police released the 11 detainees after the intervention of sheikhs and omdas of nearby camps.Blood money Separately, residents of Saraf Omra displaced camp are complaining about waves of attacks carried out by “Abbala pro-government militias” in the area, such as random gunfire and looting.The camp’s population says Abbala gunmen are “taking advantage” of last Friday’s events to continue with their violations in the area.On 19 April a fellow Abbala tribesman man was found dead near the camp and insurgents blamed the displaced for killing him.In fear of being attacked by the militants, residents of the Saraf Omra camp decided to pay the blood money requested by the Abbala.The first installment of 40 million Sudanese pounds ($9 million) has been reportedly disbursed.Nevertheless, Abbala militias have “re-launched’ their assaults and are plundering homes and streets, sources said.Displaced are asking authorities and UNAMID to put an end to these abuses and bring the perpetrators to justice.File photo by Albert Gonzalez Farran/ UNAMID Related:Abbala demand ‘blood money or attack’ Darfur town (18 April 2013)More than 500 dead in N. Darfur tribal conflict- Sudan lawmaker (26 February 2013)