Arrests, fines after North Darfur land protest

Residents of Teitel in Mellit locality, North Darfur were reportedly beaten an assaulted by police and militiamen when they protested the redistribution of their land for development.

Callers told Radio Dabanga that 11 people were arrested by police and members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia. They included a woman and three minors.

They say that that Mellit locality distributed their lands west of the town for a housing plan for 2,000 homes. When they refused and gathered in protest against the decision, the militiamen and policemen intervened, beat them with batons and whips and opened fire into the air to disperse them.

Four of the people arrested were immediately sentenced to six months, including a higher secondary school student, who were also given fines of fines of SDG 2,000 each. The other eight were acquitted.

The residents of Teitel have demanded that the decision be reversed.