Armed group claims responsibility for killing Darfur executive official

A group calling itself the Popular Democratic Front claimed responsibility for the assassination of the Executive Director of the administrative unit of Shataya in South Darfur, along with a police officer. The group also abducted several others last Thursday on the road from Kass to Shataya. Al Sayer Ali Ali Sayer, who identified himself as the spokesman of the hitherto unknown group, said that the group now has prisoners, including officers and soldiers and about 19 other people. He said this in an exclusive interview with Radio Dabanga.

For its part, the government of South Darfur affirmed that it will deal decisively with the rebel movement which has claimed for itself responsibility for the assassination. Karim Musa, deputy governor of South Darfur, told Radio Dabanga that so far the government not been  informed officially of the existence of such a movement.

A source in Kass several days ago said that security forces arrested dozens of people from the Ta’alba and Misseriya Jebel tribes in connection with the incident.