300 people fleeing South Darfur’s battles ‘attacked’ by militias

Pro-government militias reportedly attacked 300 civilians who were fleeing battles between government forces and rebels in South Darfur on Monday. The displaced were heading to El Salam camp near the state’s capital which has received “7,000 families” since March. Darfur rebel forces SLA-MM and the Sudanese military, with the alleged support of militias, engaged in violent clashes on Monday in Marla, south of Nyala. Both sides are making competing claims over who won the combat.The head of El Salam said the 300 displaced were attacked inside the camp at 4:00pm on Monday by gunmen “wearing military uniforms”. Some of the militants arrived in six vehicles while others were riding camels or horses.  Most of the displaced, fleeing the villages of Marla, Hillet Saleh and Hijer Tonga, were beaten and tortured, the source said. In addition, militiamen stole 136 sheep, three mobile phones and 7,500 Sudanese pounds ($1,700) from the camp.El Salam’s chief said the insurgents carried out another attack on the camp at nighttime “firing indiscriminately in the air and inciting fear and terror” among the displaced.  He demanded the international community and state authorities to protect local communities and to put an end to “the excessive abuses by militias”.21,000 people According to El Salam’s sheikh, “7,000 families, which amounts to 21,000 people have been continuously arriving” at the camp since March from different areas south of Nyala.“They do not have food, shelter or medicines, and are living in critical humanitarian conditions”, the sheikh said about the new displaced. However, he pointed out that about 1,000 families have received non-food items such tarps.Health conditions at the camp are worsening and diseases as conjunctivitis and cough are affecting especially women and children, the head of El Salam said.He appealed to humanitarian organizations and to the Sudanese Humanitarian Aid Commission to provide assistance to El Salam’s displaced.Last month 4,000 people are said to have fled eight villages south of Nyala following battles between rebels and government forces.  File photoRelated: Rebels, Sudan army claim victory in South Darfur, thousands fled (23 April 2013)‘4,000 flee villages burnt by aerial bombings in S Darfur’ -sources (18 March 2013)