2nd attack on Salamat leader ‘by Misseriya’ this week in Darfur

Two people were killed and eight were abducted in a second attack on a Salamat tribe’s leader in Umm Dukhun city of Central Darfur. Different sources say the assault was executed by Misseriya fighters, who had two of their men injured in the assault. A Salamat leader told Radio Dabanga that the house of his tribe’s deputy Haj Osman Mohamed Adam Al Dwaid was attacked at 2:00pm on Monday by Misseriya elements, who killed two people and abducted another eight. The deputy, he said, is among the captives who also include his son Mohamed Haj Osman Al Dwaid; Omda Al Tahir Bahr; Omda Al Tijani Mohamed Adam (known as Kanjom); NCP authority Abubakar Al Helo; Abdelkarim Abdel Shakoor; and Amin Abdul Rahman Yunus. The alleged perpetrators, driving four Land Cruisers, are said to have “completely destroyed” the house of Al Dwaid.   Last week, “Misseriya militias” allegedly invaded the house of the deputy chief of the Salamat tribe Haj Osman Mohamed Adam Al Dwaid in Umm Dukhun. In the attack, one policeman was killed and two persons were kidnapped.Tribal clashes broke out earlier this month in Umm Dukhun when a Misseriya tribesman allegedly tried looting and opening fire on a Salamat man, who was not hurt. Violent hostilities erupted the next day when 4,000 men of both sides began battling each other. In the meantime, fighting has spread north and to South Darfur. Part of an unsuccessful ceasefire treaty signed by leaders of the two warring tribes three weeks ago stipulated that the Salamat and Misseriya would hold a reconciliation conference on 30 April. Two attacks in one day Witnesses in Umm Dukhun confirmed the claims and figures provided by the Salamat source over the attack against the deputy on Monday.However, onlookers said the Misseriya had first opened fire on the Salamat deputy and on the omda of the Magan area as they were returning from a visit to the local commissioner. The attack took place just 100 meters from Umm Dukhun’s police station, they said. The omda was seriously injured whereas the Salamat deputy was not hurt, sources claimed. One hour later, at 2:00pm, Misseriya elements driving four Land Cruisers went to the house of the Salamat deputy and attacked him. Witnesses said the alleged perpetrators took the eight hostages to their camp located east of Umm Dukhun city. In addition, two Misseriya tribesmen were injured by the security aide of the Salamat deputy in a fire exchange, sources added.   They disclosed that several residents of Umm Dukhun city fled to Chad as a result of the attacks against the Salamat deputy on Monday. The Misseriya, for their part, paraded across Umm Dukhun in eight Land Cruisers mounted with Dushkas and 16 motorbikes “firing gun shots in the air and causing more people to flee”, according to sources.At least 50,000 people have fled Sudan to Chad due to tribal fighting in Central Darfur in the last month. UNHCR says this is the largest influx of people from Darfur to Chad since 2005.File photoRelated: ‘40%’ of Umm Dukhun’s population fled Sudan to Chad (24 April 2013)