Air raids on Zaghawa tribal area in North Darfur

A man was killed during heavy aerial bombardments by the Sudanese Air Force on the areas of Orschi and Ebeiha, Um Baru locality, a stronghold of the Zaghawa tribe in northwest North Darfur this morning. Mohamed Ahmed Minawi, Member of Parliament for Um Baru and Karnoi localities, reported to Radio Dabanga that the village of Orschi was hit by seven bombs, the neighbouring village of Ini by four bombs, Hamra village by two, and Dar Darkoi village by seven bombs. The water well of Ebeiha village was destroyed by a bomb. “Haroun Abdallah was killed at his farmland near Orschi. Luckily, no other fatalities occurred. The basic school of Orschi was destroyed. “The area is entirely devoid of rebels,” Minawi stressed. “Those isolated areas are thinly inhabited, mostly by Zaghawa. A number of former displaced recently returned to their villages in the area. They started to take up their normal lives again, and enrolled their children in schools. The MP indicated that the Sudanese Air Force targeted the main water sources, which the people in the area rely on. He described the bombardment of the villages as “utterly irresponsible acts. It looks as if the army aims at returning the people to the camps for the displaced.” He called upon the villagers in the area to be patient and stay in the area.   File photo: A Darfur village after an aerial attack (refworld.org)