Abbala, not displaced killed man near W Darfur camp -source
The man found dead near a West Darfur camp was last week was killed by Abbala militants, not by the displaced persons who were falsely accused of the crime, a well-placed source says. Insurgents kidnapped and tortured Murnei’s residents, as they blamed the displaced for killing their comrade. One week ago, gunmen captured nine people in Murnei camp but released two in advance following the local commissioner’s negotiation. Despite denying having committed the crime but fearing outbreaks of violence, the displaced agreed to pay a ransom of 172 million Sudanese pounds ($38mi) for the other seven. They were freed in deplorable state.Mohamed Hussein Mohamed, cousin of the man found near the camp, revealed to Radio Dabanga that Abbala militants killed his relative and then fled westwards. Mohamed said he was in Foro Burunga at the time of the murder, but confirmed a young onlooker saw everything and told him about it.The relative claimed he still made sure to verify the facts before coming public with the information, adding “he needed to get it out of his chest and [is] not able to live with the injustice”.Witholding the real facts would go against the values he learned from his father and from his society, Mohamed said. He stressed wanting to maintain the historical relationship between his community and the people from Murnei, especially the displaced.Mohamed also disclosed that upon receiving the ransom, the gunmen offered 17 million SDG to the mother of the victim. She refused the blood money claiming she knew who killed her son and that the displaced were not guilty. The militants then shared the ransom money and dispersed, he said.At the time of the kidnapping, Murnei’s head sheikh told Radio Dabanga about a “growing concentration of gunmen” outside the camp and noted the militias had looted the site days before.“When the militants arrived at the camp, they did not give us any time, not even to investigate together who killed their colleague. They just came, surrounded the camp and started looting”, the sheikh noted. Radio Dabanga file photoRelated: 7 hostages released in W Darfur camp in ‘deplorable state’ (15 March 2013)
The man found dead near a West Darfur camp was last week was killed by Abbala militants, not by the displaced persons who were falsely accused of the crime, a well-placed source says. Insurgents kidnapped and tortured Murnei’s residents, as they blamed the displaced for killing their comrade.
One week ago, gunmen captured nine people in Murnei camp but released two in advance following the local commissioner’s negotiation. Despite denying having committed the crime but fearing outbreaks of violence, the displaced agreed to pay a ransom of 172 million Sudanese pounds ($38mi) for the other seven. They were freed in deplorable state.
Mohamed Hussein Mohamed, cousin of the man found near the camp, revealed to Radio Dabanga that Abbala militants killed his relative and then fled westwards. Mohamed said he was in Foro Burunga at the time of the murder, but confirmed a young onlooker saw everything and told him about it.
The relative claimed he still made sure to verify the facts before coming public with the information, adding “he needed to get it out of his chest and [is] not able to live with the injustice”.
Witholding the real facts would go against the values he learned from his father and from his society, Mohamed said. He stressed wanting to maintain the historical relationship between his community and the people from Murnei, especially the displaced.
Mohamed also disclosed that upon receiving the ransom, the gunmen offered 17 million SDG to the mother of the victim. She refused the blood money claiming she knew who killed her son and that the displaced were not guilty. The militants then shared the ransom money and dispersed, he said.
At the time of the kidnapping, Murnei’s head sheikh told Radio Dabanga about a “growing concentration of gunmen” outside the camp and noted the militias had looted the site days before.
“When the militants arrived at the camp, they did not give us any time, not even to investigate together who killed their colleague. They just came, surrounded the camp and started looting”, the sheikh noted.
Radio Dabanga file photo
Related: 7 hostages released in W Darfur camp in ‘deplorable state’ (15 March 2013)
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